


Sacchan and the Trainwreck

by yamarik



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Idiots, Misunderstandings, Online Friendship, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-08-09 13:50:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 61,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16451168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamarik/pseuds/yamarik
Summary: Due to his poor health, Saruhiko has spent his life isolated. His only friend thus far has been his online buddy, yatagarasu. However, following his family's recent move, he finds himself drawn to his new neighbor.Meanwhile, a cute "girl" has moved in next door to Misaki, and as he struggles to deal with his feelings he finds himself turning more and more to his online frenemy, glasses4lyfe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate titles for this work: "Probably the Most Innocent Sarumi Fic I Will Ever Write" (because these two are practically co-mayors of UST-city, but in this they somehow ended up being a couple of cute fluffy baby gays), "The Fic That Sent Me Spiraling Into Sarumi Hell" (because in the process of writing this I ended up reading the mangas for the first time and also delved into reading other people's fics. Do I regret anything? Nah)  
> This work is already written but my beta is busy and doesn't have a lot of time to go over things for me so updates will hinge on when they get things read. Chapter 2 should be up in the next couple of days, but after that no promises.  
> Also since I decided not to include certain ideas that I did some worldbuilding for, I'm probably gonna just segue that stuff into the end-of-chapter notes, so if that annoys you just ignore them.  
> Last, Fushimi's backstory is a lot softer, in that his dad isn't psycho. His parents still neglect him a lot more than they should, but that's it.  
> Okay sorry for all the notes. Sit back, relax, prepare to facepalm a bunch, and enjoy.

The car came out of nowhere, almost hitting him. 

Okay, not quite true. To be fair, the car was driving within the speed limit down a straight portion of the road. Why it nearly hit Misaki was because he was so used to no one driving down that particular stretch of road that he didn’t even look before crossing it, and was oblivious to the danger until a horn was honking and he had to quick jump onto his skateboard and push off as hard as he could to get out of the way, even though it meant hitting the wall on the opposite side of the street painfully. 

As he muttered curses to himself, the car pulled to a stop, and the driver rolled down his window to chew Misaki out. Misaki sighed but let the man yell, knowing it was technically his fault. But literally no one drove down this road. He had lived in this neighborhood for years, and cut across this street plenty of times, and not once had there ever been a car down here. And he wasn’t the only one. Other kids in the area would do the same thing, some even used this street as a soccer field if the fields at the park were in use. Why? Because no fucking cars. Until this fucker came along. He was probably lost. Misaki thought about asking if he was, but didn’t trust himself not to get yelled at more for being rude. People always told him he had an attitude problem. He didn’t need to hear about it again, so he kept sullenly silent. 

In the car, a woman had her hand on the driver’s shoulder, presumably trying to soothe him. In the back seat, Misaki could just see a face twisted around to stare at him. He couldn’t make out much more than pale skin, glasses, and a shit-ton of blankets, so he decided to ignore it. Finally the driver muttered something about “damn kids” and pulled away, leaving Misaki behind without once having inquired about whether or not he was okay. 

“Asshole,” Misaki muttered after him. He was okay, thank you very much, though he felt a bit battered from running into the wall. Better than he would have felt being hit by the car, though… 

He continued on towards home, not wanting to be late for dinner as it would upset his mom, again, and then she might not let him play games tonight. That was unacceptable to Misaki, as he wanted to get some grinding done before whatever the next challenge was that would arrive from his mortal online enemy, glasses4lyfe. 

Or perhaps his best friend, glasses4lyfe. 

Nope, that was so not true, they were definitely archnemeses. He must have been listening to the taunts of his other guild members too much. Like he could ever be friends with that jerk. glasses4lyfe may have clued him in to that one event dungeon the other day, but that DID NOT make them friends. And so what if he spent almost as much of his time online talking with and running dungeons with glasses4lyfe as he did with the other members of his own guild? In the end, glasses4lyfe was still some unknown entity that he would likely never meet so how could they even be friends, not to mention he was also a member of Misaki’s guild’s main rivals, Scepter 4. He couldn’t stand those jerks. So he was definitely not friends with one of them, and Izumo could just shut up with all his jokes about it! 

As Misaki approached his house, the first thing he noticed was the moving truck. At first he thought it was parked in front of his house, and was alarmed, but then he realized that no, it was just in front of the old Henohenomohe place. Old man Henohenomohe had lived there right up until his death, and for almost three years now it had been empty. No one dared to go inside. Even the people who teased Misaki about his fear of the paranormal felt a flicker of fear when they approached that house. And now someone was moving in? Good luck to them, because they were gonna need it. 

Now, in theory, Misaki should have been able to just walk past the moving truck and go up to his house and let himself in. He should have been able to head to his room to drop off his board and then go to the bathroom to clean off the skin that was scraped by the wall and wash his hands for supper. In theory, it would have worked like that. But what really happened was this. 

Misaki walked past the moving truck, and walked up the path to the front door. He opened the door, and that was as far as he got, because his mom was there, holding a plate with one of her homemade Castellas and a bottle of sake. 

“Misaki, where have you been?” his mom asked. As if she didn’t know he’d been at the skatepark where he and his friends hung out despite the fact that he was the only one who could actually skateboard. Though Tatara was the only one who had actually tried. The rest didn’t want to risk looking uncool by failing the way Tatara had. “Never mind,” Misaki’s mom continued. “Drop that board and take this plate and gracious me you’re a mess, oh well, I want to get this to them before the Castella cools too much, let’s go already.” 

Misaki obediently dropped his skateboard and took the plate with the cake, resenting whoever was going to receive it. His mom pushed past him, and he fumbled to keep the cake from falling. She’d be pissed if he let that happen. 

“Where are we going?” he grumbled. 

“How did you end up without any manners despite all my efforts to teach you!” Misaki’s mom scolded. “We’re going to greet the new neighbors, obviously! It’s what civilized people do!” 

“Wait,” Misaki said, stopping in his tracks. “You don’t mean the new neighbors in the old Henohenomohe place, right?” 

“What other new neighbors would I mean,” Misaki’s mom snapped. 

“But mom,” Misaki whined, “that place is haunted! I’m not gonna anger any ghosts!” 

“You can’t anger any ghosts that aren’t there, now hurry up if you don’t want to become a ghost yourself, Misaki Yata!” 

Which did Misaki fear more, the wrath of ghosts or the wrath of his mom? Well, if they didn’t go inside the house, they might not actually incur the fury of the residing ghosts. But if he didn’t hurry up and follow her, he was guaranteed to enrage his mom. Greeting the new neighbors it was, then. 

Misaki followed resolutely after his mom as she swept up the driveway to the old Henohenomohe place. He stationed himself behind her as she knocked sharply on the door. 

The door was opened by a housewife. 

“Yes?” the housewife asked. 

“Hi, we’re your new neighbors,” Misaki’s mom greeted brightly, bowing and reaching a claw behind her to make sure Misaki did the same. “We just wanted to come greet you and welcome you to the neighborhood, and if you ever need anything, we’d be happy to-” 

“Aren’t you the kid that ran out in front of us?” the housewife asked, peering at Misaki. 

“Uh…” Misaki said unintelligibly. His mom was already shooting a glare at him that spelled trouble. Shit. Red alert, abort, abort, and all that jazz. 

“Misaki, did you really!” Misaki’s mom asked, clearly outraged. 

“It was an accident?” Misaki tried. “I didn’t see the car there, really, and no one got hurt, so…” 

From the look of murder in his mom’s eyes, Misaki was very glad he was holding the Castella. It kept her from whacking him upside the head lest he drop the cake. 

“I am so sorry,” Misaki’s mom apologized. “I’ve tried to raise this child well, but he’s still so reckless. I do apologize, and hope you weren’t terribly inconvenienced.” 

“I appreciate the apology,” the woman replied. “And no one did get hurt, so I suppose we can just forget about it.” 

“I’ll bring by some wagashi tomorrow to make up for it,” Misaki’s mom decided. 

“There’s no need for that,” the new neighbor replied. 

“No, I insist. Anyway, to welcome you, we brought some sake and a Castella I made, I hope you like it.” 

“That’s very kind of you, why don’t you come on in and I’ll get you some tea.” 

There was so much politeness in the air Misaki felt like he couldn’t breathe. Or maybe that was just the imminent dread because this woman had JUST INVITED THEM INTO HER HAUNTED HOUSE. Fuck. And with all the politeness, they couldn’t refuse. Oh heavens above, why? 

Misaki followed his mom in, his trembling causing the Castella to wobble. At least it showed off his mom’s baking prowess that the cake jiggled like a good Castella should. He shuffled off his shoes and followed the two women into the kitchen, gladly depositing the cake on the counter. He wanted to bolt, but he knew he was a dead man if he did, so he carefully took a seat next to his mom and waited as the lady heated the water. The two women talked as they all waited, introducing themselves and then discussing their professions. Misaki’s mom had just asked what brought about the housewife- Mrs. Fushimi-’s move, and Misaki was about to die of sheer boredom, when a figure blanketed in white walked into the room. 

Misaki froze, too terrified to even scream. He’d known this place was haunted, and yet he’d still set foot in here, all because he wanted to be able to play games a bit. God he was an idiot. Thanks to that mistake, he was now going to get possessed, or murdered, or haunted for all eternity or- 

“Mom, what’s the password for the wifi?” the ghost asked, and holy shit Mrs. Fushimi was a ghost too. Misaki hadn’t even suspected, oh mercy, he was so dead. 

“Can’t you see we have guests?” Mrs. Fushimi snapped. “At least say hello!” 

“‘Lo,” the ghost mumbled sulkily. 

The kettle began to whistle, and Mrs. Fushimi took it off the unit, pouring four cups of tea. 

“Sit down and drink some tea,” Mrs. Fushimi ordered the ghost. “It’ll be good for you.” 

Misaki tried not to shake as the ghost came over and sat by him. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit. 

The tea was handed out, and the ghost reached out to grab some, lowering a fold of the blanket enveloping them and- 

Oh hey. It wasn’t a ghost after all. It was a girl, roughly Misaki’s age, and pretty cute too. She had pale skin and dark hair that framed her delicate face, and square-framed glasses that tried to hide long lashes and big eyes. The girl glanced his way, and Misaki realized he was staring bug-eyed at her. That was rather awkward. He quickly averted his gaze and sipped his tea, scalding his tongue a little. 

“I do apologize,” Mrs. Fushimi said, continuing the cycle of politeness. “Our Saruhiko lacks manners.” Saruhiko? Who named their child a thing like that? Especially a daughter. It sounded so masculine. And Misaki thought he had it bad with his name. “This child is rather sickly, and so hasn’t interacted with others very much. But that’s part of the reason we moved here, since you asked. The hospital here has an excellent program for Saruhiko’s problems, and the school was willing to take the measures necessary for Saruhiko to attend.” 

“Which school will Saruhiko be going to?” Misaki’s mom asked. 

“K Academy.” 

“Misaki also attends K Academy! He’s not the most reliable boy, but I’m sure he’d be happy to show your Saruhiko around, right Misaki?” Misaki’s mom spoke with a warning in her voice as she turned to face him. 

“Sure,” he said weakly, hoping that was the right answer. It probably wasn’t. But like, he didn’t really mind showing this girl around? But also wouldn’t she rather have some other girl show her around? So they could be all cute and girly together or something? 

Yeah, Misaki was generally at a total loss when it came to girls. There were like, 2, that he could deal with. Excluding his family members, that is. It was something his friends constantly teased him about. 

“I would really appreciate that,” the girl in question said. 

“It would certainly be a relief to know that someone, at least, is looking out for Saruhiko,” Mrs. Fushimi said. 

Misaki plastered his smile on his face and sipped his tea and tried his best to ignore the discomfort of the whole situation. Eventually, the tea was finished, and he and his mom made their escape. He was finally free. 

He was also banned from playing any games that night. 

* * *

Saruhiko finished off another monster with a sigh. It was getting late, and yatagarasu had yet to sign on. He should probably just go to bed already since it was unlikely he’d get to talk to his friend. 

Not that yatagarasu would ever acknowledge that they were friends. 

Saruhiko had made that mistake once. After he’d gone and helped yatagarasu beat a pretty difficult boss, yatagarasu had thanked him, and Saruhiko had casually replied with “sure, that’s what friends are for,” and yatagarasu had practically gone nuclear with his denial of any sort of friendship. He’d proceeded to insist he could never be friends with an enemy and to diss everything about Scepter 4 guild from their name to their guild colors to their most prominent guild members’ avatars. It might have been hilarious if it hadn’t been so hurtful. But them not being friends didn’t stop yatagarasu from seeking Saruhiko out and running dungeons with him or just generally hanging out. 

It was probably pretty pathetic that Saruhiko’s best friend was some unknown person on the other side of the internet who wouldn’t even acknowledge that they were friends. 

Saruhiko supposed if it bothered him that much, he could just switch guilds. But the rest of Homra, yatagarasu’s guild, was a rather annoying bunch in Saruhiko’s mind, and also, despite the friendship denial, he rather liked the current dynamic between himself and yatagarasu. If he was honest, their frenemy status was probably the same reason he still played Color Kings. His guild members were alright and all, but the real fun came in picking fights with yatagarasu while still working together. 

Saruhiko sighed again and went offline, powering down his computer. Hopefully, yatagarasu would be online tomorrow. 

Tomorrow… 

Tomorrow would hopefully be his first day at school. That was nerve-wracking. He’d never been to school before. Still, thanks to this evening, at least he’d know someone there. Even if that someone seemed to be some sort of walking disaster. 

An admittedly cute walking disaster… 

A cute walking disaster who would probably cut all ties with him if he gave even the slightest indication of how gay he was. Yeah, nope. Not gonna go there. 

Still, it’d be nice to go to school. Hopefully he’d make some real friends. Assuming people didn’t think he was too weird, that is. Or pathetic. Yeah, they’d probably see him as pathetic. Too weak to even attend school up until now, no hobbies other than reading and surfing the internet and playing games there… He knew how lame that was. In his younger days, he’d mentioned that on some forum he’d spent time on, and gotten made fun of until he left. People could be so cruel when they wanted. 

The next day dawned with clear skies. Saruhiko thanked his lucky stars to see the broad expanse of blue above him, as a rainy day might have postponed his first day of school. 

As soon as he’d eaten breakfast, his mom drove him to the hospital for one last check-up, and once that was done, to the school. She walked with him to the nurse’s office, and the whole way there Saruhiko couldn’t help but notice how many people stared at them. Oh no, they could already tell he was a total loser who had never been to school and who had no life and- 

Running footsteps approached, and then something grabbed onto Saruhiko’s messenger bag, yanking him to a halt. He almost toppled, but managed to stay upright. 

“Found ya!” a voice panted, and Saruhiko turned to see the boy from yesterday, holding a skateboard- an object Saruhiko had come to associate with yatagarasu, since yatagarasu was the only person in Color Kings who used a skateboard as a weapon. “Hi Mrs. Fushimi. I can take it from here.” 

Saruhiko’s mom gave the boy an unimpressed look, then looked at her watch. She considered for a moment, then nodded. 

“Alright. Take care, Saruhiko,” she said, and walked off. Saruhiko suspected she was hoping to get home in time to catch some drama or other on TV. Typical. Prioritizing some fictional love story over her own son. 

“Whelp, that’s her gone,” the boy said, startling Saruhiko. “Why’d you bring your mom? People are gonna think you’re weird if you do that.” 

“She wanted to make sure I got to the nurse’s office okay. Since I’ve never been in a school before.” 

“Really? Wow, that’s pretty lucky. So, Sacchan, did you get your class assignment yet?” 

“No, I was going to get it after seeing the nurse, but… Sacchan?” 

“Well, Saruhiko’s kinda a shitty name, so I figured you’d need a nickname, and the only things I could think of were Saru-chan and Sacchan so Sacchan it is.” 

What kind of logic was that? Whatever. 

“Why not just use my last name?” 

“Because then you’d be Fucchan, and I like Sacchan better than Fucchan.” 

Seriously, what the hell kind of logic did this guy use? 

“Uh, right. Well, while we’re on the subject, I don’t believe I ever got your name yesterday.” 

The guy scowled and muttered something while looking at his feet. 

“Um, sorry? I didn’t catch that.” 

“It’s Misaki, alright? But no one calls me that. All my friends call me Yatachan.” 

Was it Saruhiko’s imagination, or was this guy blushing? 

“Are you blushing?” Saruhiko asked. Whoops. He hadn’t meant to do that. Somehow, it just didn’t seem conducive to making friends. 

“No!” Misaki replied, his voice cracking while his face reddened even more. “Maybe,” he added in a softer voice. 

“You must blush really easily. You were blushing yesterday too.” 

“Th-that was because I thought you were a ghost!” Misaki’s voice cracked again. The more they talked, the more he reaffirmed Saruhiko’s belief that he was a walking disaster. And proved that he was cute, but Saruhiko still had no intention of going there. 

“Why would you think that?” 

“B-because you were in a white blanket. And that house is haunted! Really! Everyone knows that old man Henohenomohe’s ghost is still hanging around.” 

“Ghosts don’t exist, Misaki.” 

“D-don’t call me that. It sounds so girly.” 

Oh, like he was one to talk, nicknaming a guy something as effeminate as Sacchan. Whatever. 

“I think you’ll survive, Misaki.” The blush, which had covered the entirety of Misaki’s face, now spread to his ears. What an interesting development. It was cute, and Saruhiko thought he’d have to make sure he saw this as often as possible. At least, until Misaki got wise and realized Saruhiko was gay and kicked him to the curb. 

“A-anyway, come on. You were going to the nurse’s office, right?” Misaki stammered. “That’s this way.” Misaki pointed and awkwardly took a few steps before running into a taller guy with flaming red hair who turned around with a sour expression on his face. 

“Ah?” the taller guy asked, his voice full of menace. Saruhiko felt himself shrinking back, but the guy’s expression was already softening. “Oh, shorty, it’s just you.” 

“I’m not that short!” Misaki protested, but it seemed more habit than actual protest. 

“Ah, you’re right. Rather than shorty I should be calling you midget, right?” 

“Hell no!” 

“Tiny?” 

“Shut up, Mikoto!” 

“Ah, right, our little Yatachan doesn’t like it when people point out how smol he is, I forgot. Sorry, sorry. You know how sleepy I am in the morning.” 

“Any normal person would hate it! And if you’re sleepy, go to bed sooner!” 

“Any normal person would be sleepy in the morning, even if they go to bed early. You’re the weird one having so much energy first thing in the morning. But anyway, who’s this?” The tall guy, Mikoto, jerked a thumb at Saruhiko, and Misaki jumped, looking at Saruhiko as if he’d forgotten the other was there. 

“Oh, uh, this is my new neighbor, Sacchan. We-we were actually on our way to the nurse’s office, so we should get going. L-later.” 

Saruhiko tried not to get excited at the way Misaki grabbed his hand as they set off. He didn’t fully succeed. Though maybe the pounding of his heart was more because Misaki was pulling him at a faster pace than he could really handle. Yeah, it had to be that, right? 

Luckily, they slowed down before they went too far, and Misaki released Saruhiko’s hand. Saruhiko tried not to miss the feel of that hand in his. 

“Is that guy like, a bully or something?” Saruhiko asked. He’d read about bullies. They were probably number 3 on the list of things that scared him about starting school. 

“Who, Mikoto?” Misaki asked, then laughed. “No way. He’s my friend. A lot of people think he’s scary, but he’s actually super cool. Really! Though I guess he did beat some guys up pretty bad before, but they were picking on Anna. And then there was that other time when he got into a fight with that guy who transferred, but that guy started it by almost getting Tatara expelled, and there were some other times where people just attacked him because they didn’t like him for whatever reason, but Mikoto’s a really great guy. He always looks out for the rest of us, and he’ll look out for you too, now. Er, unless you’d rather he didn’t, I mean. Like, I guess you’ll probably want to make your own friends and all, but I still thought I’d introduce you to mine, if that’s alright, but- anyway, here we are! The nurse’s office!” 

Misaki’s description of Mikoto didn’t exactly sound like someone super cool, and Saruhiko wasn’t entirely convinced that Mikoto wasn’t a bully. He was also a little alarmed by the trouble Misaki and the people he’d mentioned- who were presumably his friends- seemed to get into. 

And yet even as he got more proof that Misaki was a walking disaster, he found himself saying, “I think I’d like that,” as they entered the nurse’s office. 

“Huh?” Misaki asked. 

“Meeting your friends. I think I’d like that.” 

“Oh. Well great! A-anyway, I think I’ll wait outside. Patient privacy and all that, right?” Misaki laughed, and there was still that hint of a blush dusting his cheekbones. Saruhiko suddenly found himself glad for the fact that he could always blame nosebleeds on his poor health, because he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t start getting some from this guy. 

Honestly, Misaki needn’t have waited outside. Saruhiko was mostly there just to make sure the nurse knew who he was in case anything ever happened at school. He said his greeting and the nurse said her own, and insisted that Saruhiko not strain himself and that he should come straight to the nurse’s office if he was ever feeling poorly. Saruhiko promised he would and that was that. He headed outside to find Misaki patiently waiting, looking somehow smaller standing alone in the hallway in silence. It was then that Saruhiko decided that noise suited Misaki. He barely even knew the guy, but he could already tell the other boy was more himself when he was being loud. Saruhiko wasn’t overly fond of loud people, but he supposed he’d have to get used to it if he was planning on hanging around this guy. 

“So, where do I go to get my class assignment?” Saruhiko asked, causing Misaki to jump. 

“Wah!” Misaki yelped. “Geez, you scared me. Um, I guess you need to go to the staff room. This way.” 

Misaki seemed more sedate as they walked along, and Saruhiko wondered if something was wrong. Misaki kept fiddling with the straps of his backpack, and seemed increasingly nervous. Saruhiko didn’t really understand it until Misaki was pointing at a door several feet in front of them and saying “there’s the staff room. You can find out which class you’re in there. I’d go with you, but… I’m not exactly… it’ll be better for you if the teachers don’t see you with me. Your homeroom teacher will bring you to class, so I guess this is it for now. Just in case we wind up in separate classes, I’m in class 2-3, so if we’re not in the same class come find me at breaktime.” 

It shouldn’t have been surprising that Misaki was a troublemaker. He was a walking disaster with a scary friend who beat people up. Though Saruhiko couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the teachers were super strict. He returned Misaki’s parting wave and then gulped before striding forward alone, making his way through the hallway that was growing more congested towards the door Misaki had indicated, the one that had a convenient sign above it labeling the room’s purpose. 

The teachers were not super strict, at least not from what Saruhiko saw in the staff room. He was introduced to his homeroom teacher, Mr. Zenjou, who appeared somewhat scary but smiled nicely and asked Saruhiko about his health and then had him take a seat until a bell tolled out four tones. Mr. Zenjou kindly explained that this was the sound that meant it was time for classes to start, and then led Saruhiko through the halls to class 2-1. Inside the classroom, Saruhiko was introduced and then a desk was pointed out to him and he took his seat. 

And with that, his first day of school began. 

* * *

Saruhiko wasn’t exactly certain when the morning break was, so he really hoped someone would say something. He was able to figure it out when a bell rang and yet no teacher arrived, students began getting up and walking around, and a few even got out handheld games. Chatter rose from them, and Saruhiko figured that was his cue to go find classroom 2-3 and meet up with Misaki. 

A few classmates tried to stop Saruhiko and talk to him, but he politely explained that he was on his way to meet his friend in another class. 

Was Misaki his friend? 

Well, he’d promised to go meet up with him, and currently Misaki was the only person he knew, so… 

Out in the hallway, Saruhiko came to a realization that had evaded him that morning. The halls were scary. There were students all over, leaving their classrooms to meet friends or whatever else people did during breaks. When Misaki had been showing him around, he hadn’t noticed it, but now that he was alone, it was terrifying. He stuck close to the walls, creeping forward with small steps as he made his way toward the door he’d noted when following Mr. Zenjou to class. 

Before Saruhiko could get truly overwhelmed, he heard a loud friendly call of “Oyyyy,” and there was Misaki, waving as he wove through the other students to come meet Saruhiko. 

“Uh, hey,” Saruhiko replied, eyeing the passing students with unease. Now that he was aware of them he couldn’t bring himself to relax. 

“You okay? You’re not having any trouble are you?” Misaki asked, peering at Saruhiko and frowning. Saruhiko cringed inwardly. Did Misaki think his health was so poor that he couldn’t even last the morning without any problems? 

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” 

“You sure? You seem kinda nervous. No one’s picking on you, are they? If they are, you’ve gotta tell me so I can set them straight, ‘kay?” 

“Huh? No. No, everyone’s nice I guess. I just… it’s a little overwhelming. There’s so many people…” 

Misaki looked around and shrugged. 

“Not really?” he replied. “Like, if you think this is bad, just wait until you see the cafeteria at lunch time. It’s an absolute war zone. It’s a good thing I’m fast, ‘cuz otherwise I’d get crushed by the stampede. Anyway, let’s go. I’ll show you where the vending machines are.” 

Misaki did a lot more than show Saruhiko where the vending machines were. He also pointed out some of the special classrooms, like the home ec room and the science room and the music room, and made sure Saruhiko noted the stairwell that had roof access. They didn’t have time to go everywhere Misaki insisted was important, so he just pointed some places out through the windows, or gave vague descriptions on how to get to places that no one would ever be able to follow. They began heading back to the second-year hallway as the end of the break approached, and Misaki brought up the topic of lunch. 

“So, did you still want to meet my friends at lunch?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Saruhiko said, though honestly he’d kinda enjoyed this walking around with just the two of them. More people might ruin that dynamic. Plus that Mikoto guy from earlier had seemed kinda scary, and what if they were all like that? 

“Cool. Did you bring a lunch? Because if not, it might be better if I go get what you want for you, based on earlier, so-” 

“I have a bento,” Saruhiko said. 

“Oh, okay. Cool. Um, so I guess I’ll run and get my lunch and then meet you back at your classroom?” 

“Sure.” 

“Which class did you end up in anyway?” 

“2-1.” 

“Wait, seriously?” Misaki’s eyes bugged out. “That’s the class all the smart people are in! They say class assignments are done randomly, but everyone in that class is always at the top in exams, even though they have the same teachers and stuff, so even an idiot like me can figure out that it’s about as random as a… a… a thing that isn’t random.” 

“A thing that isn’t random? Really, Misaki?” Saruhiko said, and was rewarded with that blush. 

“Shut up. And don’t call me that! It’s embarrassing.” 

“You’re the only one who thinks so, Misaki.” 

The bell began to chime, cutting of Misaki’s retort. Misaki scowled, then muttered a, “see you later,” before dashing off to return to his classroom. Saruhiko grinned as he too hurried back to his class, thinking that he just might enjoy the breaks at school. 

The day continued smoothly, and soon it was already lunch time. And suddenly, Saruhiko felt sick to his stomach with nerves. Why had he agreed to meet Misaki’s friends? They were probably really violent or something, or- 

But Misaki was alright, so surely his friends would be too? 

But what if they weren’t?! 

A couple people invited Saruhiko to join them, but he turned them down. He already had plans, and besides, he didn’t know what to say to them. That was one of the nice things about Misaki- it didn’t matter if Saruhiko didn’t know what to say, since Misaki just kept right on talking. 

Saruhiko didn’t want to wait at his desk, but he was afraid to venture out into those evil hallways, so he opted instead to wait at the door. In a surprisingly short span of time, he saw Misaki running down the hall towards him, a plastic bag in his hand. Saruhiko stepped out to meet him, and then Misaki was grabbing his hand and dragging him towards a stairwell. 

“C’mon, the others are probably there already!” he insisted. 

“There” turned out to be a grassy hillside behind one of the buildings. There were four guys already there: Mikoto from earlier, a guy with an airheaded expression, a guy with an aura of easygoingness, and an overweight guy. Misaki plopped down among them without a second thought, and Saruhiko reluctantly followed despite the fact that they did indeed look like a bunch of thugs. The three newcomers all had bleached hair, and the two skinny ones had let it grow until it was artfully shaggy. 

“So this is the rumored Sacchan,” the easygoing one said. “Mikoto said Yatachan had a new friend. Nice to meet you, I’m Izumo. The grumpy one is Mikoto, who you saw before, this idiot here is Tatara, and Rikio’s the other one.” As Izumo introduced each of them, he pointed to them, though instead of pointing to Tatara he rapped his knuckles on the latter’s head. 

“Is Anna gonna be here today?” Misaki asked. 

“She said something about eating with that Neko girl,” Rikio said looking distastefully at a nigiri. 

“Better her and her group than with that brat,” Misaki muttered, taking a bun out of his plastic bag. 

“Now now,” Tatara said, “just because Sukuna beat you that one time doesn’t mean he-” 

“He didn’t beat me!” Misaki snapped, and the rest exchanged glances and shrugged, then changed the subject. 

By the end of lunch Saruhiko had determined two things: one, that Misaki’s friends were actually kinda normal and not all that scary, and two, that he still didn’t like them. There was something about Mikoto in particular that rubbed him the wrong way, though he couldn’t say what. Maybe it was the guy’s superior attitude, like he was too important to bother participating in the conversation except to embarrass the others. Maybe it was that smug look on his face all the time. Maybe it was the way he seemed to think the rules didn’t apply to him. Maybe it was the way the others all gravitated toward him. Maybe it was the way Misaki in particular gravitated toward him. 

But it couldn’t be that last one, because that last one would imply that Saruhiko had a crush on a guy he’d just met. Surely he wasn’t that pathetic a person, that he could fall so easily. Yes, Misaki was attractive, but that meant nothing in the long run. 

Lunch ended, and they returned to their classrooms. Well, most of them did. Mikoto had lain back about halfway through lunch and was snoring lightly, and the others didn’t seem the least bit inclined to wake him up. When Saruhiko decided that if they wouldn’t then he would, Izumo stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a shake of his head. 

“Best to just leave him be,” Izumo said. Saruhiko decided to listen, because if Mikoto got in trouble for skipping class, it was hardly his problem. 

Back in his classroom again, Saruhiko settled in for the next lesson, but after about ten minutes, distraction hit as a girl sitting next to the window suddenly stood up and announced, “Sensei, class three is having outdoor PE!” 

The whole class sprang into motion and began shutting all the windows, which had been open to let in the early summer breeze. Several students began to take out paper fans. 

Saruhiko wondered what was going on, but didn’t feel comfortable asking. He got an answer anyway, when the guy he sat next to leaned over and said in a low voice, “There’s a really loud-mouthed guy in class three of our year. Whenever they have PE outside, you can hear him in all the classrooms. It’s really distracting, so we always close the windows. You can still hear him, but at least it’s muted a lot.” 

Somehow, Saruhiko had a feeling he knew exactly who that loudmouth was. Less than a minute later, his suspicions were confirmed as he heard Misaki’s voice shouting indistinctly. It was indeed distracting, but Saruhiko found himself smiling. He made the mistake of looking out the window, and spotted a soccer game going on down on the field below. He watched as one of the players passed the ball, and then a short red-headed player came out of nowhere and intercepted the ball, racing back down the field before passing to someone else. Saruhiko quickly looked away, but felt a flush on his cheeks. It was probably the heat. Summer was just beginning after all, and with the windows closed the still air was already starting to stagnate and stick to them all. 

By the end of the lesson, Saruhiko had given up on taking notes, since his gaze kept being drawn to the game outside. Misaki had said he was fast, but actually seeing it was pretty amazing. The guy was also agile, and coordinated, and just so athletic. It was almost deadly to Saruhiko, who was mesmerized with both attraction and envy. He wished he were that athletic, but with his fragile health, he had to be careful not to overexert himself. He wasn’t even going to be allowed to participate in PE classes at this school as a precaution. Meanwhile, there was Misaki, full of vigor and burning bright and looking so good… How was Saruhiko supposed to pay attention when that was just outside the window? 

Finally the lesson ended and the next one began, but no one bothered to open the windows. Saruhiko wished they would, because aside from a few stray puffs of air that wafted from the person sitting in front of him, the air was still and hot around him, and it felt suffocating. His breath was beginning to hurt a little, and he realized he should probably head to the nurse’s office. But they were in the middle of class, and he didn’t want to be a bother, especially not on his first day. He didn’t want everyone to see him as weak, which they certainly would if he stepped out now. He’d wait just a little longer, and then… 

Saruhiko didn’t feel himself fall out of his chair. He didn’t hear the announcement of, “Sensei, the new kid passed out!” He didn’t feel it as he was carried to the very nurse’s office that he hadn’t wanted to ask to go to. He was completely unaware of all of it, because the world had already faded into a technicolor brightness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I got a comment on it: Yes, their school has uniforms, however, they have a very liberal uniform policy. It will be mentioned more in depth later, but the general gist of it is that it doesn't matter _what_ uniform students wear, so long as it is the school's uniform, so anyone can wear whatever uniform they please whenever they please, regardless of gender or time of year or anything like that.

When Saruhiko regained consciousness, the world was blurry, as it always was when his glasses weren’t on. He squinted, looking for them, and located them on a small table next to the bed he was in. Once they were on, he sat up and looked around and found himself in the nurse’s office. 

He wasn’t alone. Sitting in a chair nearby was a guy whose uniform was adorned by a badge of some sort, reading a book. He was probably the prettiest guy Saruhiko had ever seen, and he exuded dignity and authority. Saruhiko was awed by him, and yet somehow annoyed at the same time. 

The bell began to toll, and the boy closed his book. 

“That would be the end of the school day,” he said. “If you’d like, I can go fetch your belongings for you, Saruhiko Fushimi.” 

“Er, that’s- I think I can probably manage on my own if I just rest a bit,” Saruhiko said, because it was already embarrassing enough that he’d fainted on his first day; he didn’t need to add to that by getting help from some stranger. “By the way, who are you?” 

“Reisi Munakata. I’m the vice-president of the student council. The nurse had to take a student who was having an allergic reaction to the hospital, and therefore asked me to keep an eye on you since the student health aide had to get back to class.” 

“Uh, nice to meet you, I guess,” Saruhiko said. “But didn’t you also have class?” 

“Fortunately, my class had a self-study period. Exams are still a ways off, but the teachers are already giving us time to prepare. It would be a shame if students from such a prestigious school as this did not make it into the colleges of their choice.” 

“I see.” 

“Besides, as an officer of the student council, it is my duty to put the needs of the students first. That being said, should you ever have concerns, you should feel free to stop by the student council room to talk to me or one of the other members.” 

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in-” 

“Saaaaaacchaannnnnnn,” a loud voice yelled, and a few pounding footsteps later Misaki crashed into the room. “Are you okay? Anna said you had to be brought here after you-” Misaki cut off abruptly as he caught sight of Reisi and made a face. 

“Misaki Yata,” Reisi said calmly. “Do remember that running in the halls isn’t allowed. And please keep your voice down as well.” 

Misaki’s face twitched, and then he turned to Saruhiko, blatantly ignoring Reisi. 

“Do you have your stuff already, or do we need to go get it?” he asked. 

“It’s still in the classroom. Hang on, I’ll go with you.” Saruhiko pushed back the bedsheets and stood up slowly, Misaki coming over in case he needed support. It took a little effort, but he was able to stand and walk on his own. He followed Misaki out the door, politely saying goodbye to Reisi as he went. He felt a bit rude just leaving like that, but somehow Misaki’s obvious dislike of the guy made Saruhiko feel that it was the best course of action. 

Misaki took them on a route that passed by the vending machines, and stopped to buy a can of juice for Saruhiko. It was apple, and Saruhiko didn’t actually like it, but it was a nice gesture from a guy he was not crushing on in the least and he appreciated it. Plus he really did need to drink something, as he still had to get home after this, and he seriously doubted he’d be able to get his mom to come pick him up. Her version of parenting always involved doing the bare minimum. Driving him around that morning had been a necessity since he couldn’t go to the hospital by himself and he couldn’t get to the school from there by himself, and then she had stayed with him to keep up appearances, but really, it was all an inconvenience to her. To ask her to put up with further inconvenience by coming to pick him up? Like she would ever do that. 

When they reached classroom 2-1, the room had already emptied out. A few students had left their bags at their desks while they went for after school activities, but otherwise the room was empty save for the two of them. Saruhiko walked over to his desk to pick up his messenger bag, but no sooner had he picked it up than it was being taken from him by Misaki, who slung it over his own shoulder over the straps of his backpack. 

“Misaki, I can-” Saruhiko began, but Misaki held up a hand to silence him. 

“Nope. Anna said you fainted. You should take it easy, and let me help you out. Besides, I’m not good at much, but I’m stronger than I look so you can depend on me for this.” 

“But-” 

“I already decided I’d either carry your bag or carry you. Carrying your bag is less embarrassing.” Misaki blushed slightly and looked away, and for a second Saruhiko considered saying that he wanted Misaki to carry him. But Misaki was right, it would be embarrassing, and also even if he was stronger than he looked, there was surely no way he could carry Saruhiko and both of their school bags. 

“Is Anna someone in my class?” Saruhiko asked instead. Misaki had mentioned her in the nurse’s office too. 

“Nah, she’s only a first year,” Misaki said, hefting his skateboard and leading the way out of the classroom. “But she’s a student health aide, so she was in the nurse’s office when you came in and I guess Mikoto or Tatara or someone told her about you and so she texted me to let me know what happened.” 

“So she’s one of your friends?” 

“Yeah, she’s actually Mikoto’s stepsister. Though we knew her for a bit before their parents got together.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah…” Saruhiko wanted to ask for details, but Misaki didn’t seem inclined to share, so he let it be. He was new to this whole friendship thing, but he thought that friends would let each other have their secrets if they needed. After all, everyone had things they didn’t like to talk about, right? 

* * *

It had been a kinda shitty day. First he’d gotten up early to make sure he got to school on time to help Sacchan out. Except then he’d gotten to school only to see Sacchan and her mom already on the other side of the shoe lockers, and when he’d tried to catch up the first time he’d gotten stopped by that annoying girl from the student council- the one who really shouldn’t be able to stand up because of that ridiculous chest, not the one with the hair ornaments- who had treated him to a lecture on running in the halls. At least once he’d escaped her he’d successfully found Sacchan again. 

But then Sacchan had ended up in a different class. Which, okay, not the end of the world, he did have friends in his own class after all, but his mom had wanted him to look out for her and it would have been a lot easier if they were in the same class. Besides, Sacchan would probably make friends in her own class and then wouldn’t want to associate with him anymore, and that was fine, except he’d kinda thought it would be nice if they could be friends. Like, they were gonna be neighbors for crying out loud. Wouldn’t it be weird if they lived next door to each other but never talked? Whereas if they were friends, then they could go to and from school together, and maybe work on homework together sometimes, and just like, hang out. 

Misaki had thought that maybe it was a good sign that Sacchan had shown up during the break, but then she had barely even spoken to him. He supposed a tour of the school wasn’t all that exciting, but Sacchan remained impassive the entire time, no matter how he joked around. At that point, he was pretty much convinced that Sacchan hated him and had just tagged along out of the same politeness that had kept their mothers chatting the evening before. So he tried to give her an opportunity to bow out gracefully, and asked if she still wanted to meet for lunch, figuring this would be the point where she would apologize and say she’d actually made plans to eat with some girls from her class, so sorry, fuck off and have a nice life. Except for some inexplicable reason, she didn’t say that. And in case that wasn’t peculiar enough, she went on to… make fun of him? Tease him? It was hard to tell. He thought it might be teasing, since Sacchan didn’t seem like she was being spiteful, but there was almost no change in Sacchan’s expression or tone of voice. 

Then, at lunch, there was a bit of conversation that was just weird. It had started off normal enough, with Izumo asking how Sacchan was adjusting to their school. 

“It’s alright,” Sacchan had said. “Not really what I expected of school, but I suppose it’s still fun.” 

“School? Fun?” Misaki had laughed bitterly. “School’s not fun. It’s only tolerable ‘cuz you get to hang out with friends during breaks.” 

“Maybe the lessons are kind of boring, but that’s not enough to cancel out the fun I had during the morning break,” Sacchan had replied, not even looking up from the convenience store bento that was her lunch. 

That statement had left Misaki reeling. Had Sacchan just implied she’d had fun during the morning break? The same morning break where he’d been showing her around and she had seemed completely disinterested? 

While Misaki was trying to process that, the conversation moved on, leaving him in the dust. 

“So are you making lots of friends then?” Tatara had asked. 

“Not really,” Sacchan had replied. “Most of the kids in my class seem pretty boring.” 

“Ah, well, it’s only the first day,” Rikio said. “You haven’t really gotten to know them yet.” 

“Maybe I don’t really want to get to know them,” Sacchan said, finally looking up to meet Rikio’s gaze squarely. “Maybe I’ve already found someone interesting to spend my time with. Aren’t you going to eat your lunch?” 

After that, the topic had quickly changed to Rikio’s annual summer transformation and all its annoying and terrifying effects, and Misaki had almost forgotten about it all except a part of him couldn’t let go of the question of who Sacchan found so interesting. He’d said most of them were boring, but that meant there were some who weren’t right? Which ones? Misaki didn’t know many people in class 2-1, but there were a few who were members of Munakata’s disciplinary committee that he recognized. Mostly because he or his friends had gotten into disagreements with all the members of the disciplinary committee at some point. He really hoped Sacchan wasn’t becoming close with those sticks in the mud. But no, they hardly counted as interesting, right? 

The question bugged Misaki all the way up until he returned to his classroom and was reminded that they had PE next. That had been the best part of Misaki’s day right there. PE was always the best part of his days. It was the one part of the day where he could let loose and be completely unrestrained and free in his own element: motion. They ended up playing soccer that day, which was a good sport for him. For things like basketball and volleyball, the other guys tended to disregard him because of his height, but at least with soccer they remembered that he was athletic. Though Eric claimed that it had less to do with his height and more to do with the other kids finding him annoying, but Eric was kinda a jerk sometimes. 

Unfortunately, PE ended all too soon, and in their last class of the day, they had a pop quiz. 

Misaki was a terrible test-taker. Even when he studied, he still tended to bomb his exams- because he’d forget what he’d studied or he’d misread questions or all sorts of reasons. And when he didn’t study… well, he just guessed on every question rather than actually trying since he’d do just as badly either way. He might even do better with guessing. 

Sometimes, very rarely, he’d have a random good day and would score really high, getting the kind of grades his mom always hoped for. But almost every time he got accused of cheating and had to retake the test and did poorly on the retake. Honestly, if it weren’t for his friends he’d probably just drop out since school clearly wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Maybe when the others graduated he could quit and get a job with them. Except his mom would be disappointed in him if he did that. 

After he turned in his quiz, Misaki got a text from Anna. 

_LionPrincess: Mikoto said you made friends with a new kid. It wouldn’t happen to be Saruhiko Fushimi, would it?_  
_yatagarasu: yaeh sacchan y_  
_LionPrincess: He fainted in class and was brought to the nurse’s office._  
_yatagarasu: WAIY HWAT_

It was tempting to run out of class right then and there, but if he did that the teacher might call his mom and then he’d get grounded again and he really couldn’t afford it since he’d already fallen behind by missing last night. Also it was odd for Anna of all people to have a typo, but Misaki supposed even she might miss a letter and not notice sometimes. He wondered if he should point out that she’d misgendered Sacchan, but decided against it. It wasn’t really worth it. Besides, he rarely managed to send a text without typos, so it wasn’t like he could talk. 

As soon as class was out, Misaki had taken off to go see if Sacchan was alright, and discovered that although she was, she really wasn’t because that annoying Reisi Munakata was there. That asshole. Just because he was the vice president of the student council he acted like he was so great… Not to mention he was always so rude to Mikoto. Misaki couldn’t forgive anyone who was mean to his friends, especially Mikoto. Mikoto was the one who had stood up for him back in middle school, when everyone thought that because Misaki was short he was an easy target to pick on. When Misaki had nowhere to turn, Mikoto had been the one to notice and give him a refuge. Tatara and Izumo and Anna were all dear to him as well, and he had gained other friends that were important since back then, but Mikoto was his hero. And someone like Munakata who called his hero names was nothing but trash. 

And now, after he’d rescued Sacchan from that scumbag and gotten her some juice and gotten her to the bus stop, they were standing around in awkward silence, waiting for their bus. Normally, Misaki would walk or skateboard home, but it was better for them to take a bus since Sacchan had fainted. No extra exertion and all that. 

Sacchan’s PDA dinged and she pulled it out of her pocket to look at it. 

“Ah,” she said. “My mom says she and my dad decided to have a date so I should just go home with you.” 

“They decided to have a date? Shouldn’t they be worried since you passed out?” 

“I was just a bit overheated. It’s not like it’s a big deal.” 

“Not a big deal? Didn’t your mom say you get sick easily or something?” 

“Exactly. Because I get sick easily then it’s no big deal as long as I don’t need to go to the hospital. And I’m fine now, so no sense worrying about it.” 

“Well I’m worried about it,” Misaki muttered. 

Their bus arrived, and they got on and found Sacchan a seat. There were too many people for them both to sit, and Misaki actually had to kick some guy out of his seat so that Sacchan could sit. Luckily, she was pale enough that one look at her face had the guy reluctantly getting up. 

It was about a five minute walk from the bus stop to their houses, and Misaki wondered if he should have Sacchan sit on his skateboard while he pushed to get her there. She insisted she was alright, but she was a girl, and she was sick, and would she really be okay? In the end, he settled for telling her that if she felt dizzy at all she should tell him so he could help her. 

They made it home without any problems, and as they entered Misaki shouted out his usual “I’m home!” 

“Misaki, would you mind getting your sister a snack?” his mom shouted back. 

“Got it,” he yelled back, depositing their bags and his skateboard near the door. “Kitchen’s this way,” he told Sacchan. “Want anything?” 

“Water?” Sacchan requested like it was a question. 

“‘Kay, just a minute,” Misaki promised. He got a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water and handed it over, then got out a juice packet for his sister and a milk pouch for himself. Lastly, he went and grabbed a packet of sembe for his sister. 

“If you want anything more, help yourself,” he told Sacchan, then headed off to where he could hear the TV playing one of his sister’s cartoons. His sister reached out her hands to the side, grabbing for her drink and snack without even looking away from the TV. It was something only she could get away with, since she was 5 and cute and also the only daughter. Misaki handed it all over, and started to walk away only to be stopped by an accusatory, “You didn’t stick the straw in for me!” 

Misaki rolled his eyes but obediently stuck in the straw, because if she tried to do it herself there was liable to be either a screaming tantrum, a horrendous accident that resulted in juice all over the floor, or both. No matter what the case, he’d end up angering his mom again. 

He returned to the kitchen and put the straw in his milk and began to drink, rummaging in the cabinets for some chips for himself. 

“Trying to get taller?” Sacchan teased, and Misaki almost spat his milk across the room. He hadn’t expected to get called out like that. Yes, he drank milk because he was short and didn’t like it, and also because everyone always told him his temper was bad and he should drink more milk to help with that too. But mostly because he was short. 

“S-so what?” he asked, and he could feel that stupid blush spreading on his face. “You would too, if you were short.” 

Though would she? It wasn’t as much of a problem for a girl to be short. Then they were cute, and that was a good thing. Must be nice… 

“I doubt it,” Sacchan replied. “I really doubt that drinking a bit of milk can completely overrule one’s predetermined genetics. Face it, Misaki, you’re short and that’s how it is.” 

Misaki growled because what he wanted to say was “fuck you”, but he’d get murdered eight times over if his mom heard him swearing in the house. 

“Whatever. If you’re gonna be like that then I won’t share my chips with you,” he sulked. 

“Misaki!” Misaki’s mom gasped, and of course she’d come into the kitchen right then. It was definitely a good thing he hadn’t cussed. “How can you be so rude to a guest?” 

“Sacchan started it!” Misaki whined. 

“That doesn’t mean you had to finish it!” his mom scolded. “Don’t forget to do your homework,” she reminded, messing up his hair to show she still loved him even if he was an embarrassment of a son who lacked all manners. Misaki groaned. He ducked away from his mom, throwing a hand up to try and fix the damage and scowling at her. She put her hands on her hips and gave him her patented mom look, and he sighed and rolled his eyes but got up to get his backpack. 

“Come on,” he told Sacchan, grabbing the chips and his milk in one hand. “We can work on homework in my room.” 

Sacchan followed with her water glass and they grabbed their things and headed to his room, with Misaki pointing out the bathroom on the way. It was only once they were inside that he realized what he’d done. Sacchan was a girl. In his room. He’d just invited Sacchan, a girl, into his, a guy’s, room. Oh hell. She must feel so uncomfortable. He’d really made things awkward this time, she was probably freaking out, she- 

“Pfft,” Sacchan laughed, and Misaki realized she’d spotted an old family photo from when they’d first brought his little brother home, in which Misaki was smiling big and proudly showing off his missing front teeth. 

Okay, maybe Sacchan wasn’t embarrassed about the fact that she was in Misaki’s room, but Misaki was. At least his brother had all his old action figures now so he couldn’t get laughed at for them… 

It was harder than usual to focus on his homework with Sacchan sitting there. He wasn’t sure why, just that he kept finding himself looking over at her or wondering about her likes and dislikes… Misaki could never really focus on his homework, but today was worse than usual. Eventually, he ended up using his ultimate focus technique, which was to turn away from his homework, close his eyes, and think about the consequences of not getting his homework done, which involved getting his skateboard taken away, extra chores, and no games for at least a week, sometimes longer. Which meant he’d have to get one of the others to tell glasses4lyfe that he wouldn’t be on (not that he cared whether or not that guy knew, really he didn’t) and then they’d laugh at him and tease him about it (and he really didn’t care!). 

“What are you doing?” Sacchan asked, because of course the very problem would have to remind him she was there. 

“Trying to concentrate. I’m bad at this stuff, so it’s hard to focus on and sometimes I need to remind myself why I bother.” 

“I could help you if you want.” 

“‘M fine,” Misaki muttered, because he had his pride. And getting help from someone who’d never even been to an actual school before was kinda a blow to his ego. Nope. 

Normally Misaki would chant aloud the things he didn’t want to lose, but today that just felt… Nope, it was impossible with Sacchan there. The fact that she was even seeing him do this at all was bad enough. Besides, she’d probably think he was a loser if she knew he played an online game. 

Sacchan said nothing more and left Misaki to do his thing. When he turned back to his homework, he was luckily able to actually look at it, and fell into his more usual routine. Complete with his usual pulling at his hair and groaning when he didn’t understand things. 

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Sacchan asked after a while. She seemed to be almost done and here was Misaki, barely even started. She probably thought he was the dumbest guy ever. He probably was the dumbest guy ever. This was hopeless. 

“I said I’m fine,” he mumbled, but even with his pride he was close to caving. 

Misaki’s mom appeared, carrying two cups of barley tea. She knew Misaki’s study habits, and knew that he’d have long finished whatever drink he’d gotten when he first got home and would be needing something else. 

“By the way, Saruhiko,” she said as she put the two cups down on the table Misaki used as a desk, “I forgot to mention, your mom called and asked me if you could stay for dinner tonight. I was going to make curry, is that okay?” 

“Curry? Yessss!” Misaki said in a low yell, because he rather liked curry. He’d even learned to make it himself, he liked it that much. Plus it was pretty easy to make if you had a curry kit. 

“That’s fine,” Sacchan mumbled. 

Misaki wondered if it was really. He’d noticed at lunch how she’d carefully eaten around the rice that had furikake on it, and avoided the octopus sausages. Maybe it was just him reading into things too much, but he suspected that Sacchan might be a picky eater. 

Misaki’s mom didn’t notice though. She was probably too used to curry being one of the things all of her children loved and that she actually had time to make. At this point, she probably couldn’t even process the idea of someone not liking curry. 

Sacchan finished her homework and thankfully pulled out her PDA to play a game or something. Misaki didn’t ask. He was too busy trying to struggle through the rest of his homework, as habit had trained him to do so in order to maximize his gaming time. It was only after he was interrupted midway through his English assignment for dinner that he realized that it didn’t matter whether or not he finished his homework since he could hardly go play games while Sacchan was over. 

After dinner, Misaki was almost released from helping with the dishes because Sacchan was over, but Sacchan ruined that by announcing she ought to go home. Misaki was told to see her out, and so he did, walking her all the way to her house as a means of stalling on his impending chores and the rest of his homework. 

“I can really walk by myself you know,” Sacchan grumbled. “It’s not exactly a long distance or anything.” 

“Huh?” Misaki replied, because it wasn’t like Sacchan hadn’t figured out what a dumbass he was already. “Oh, right. You fainted earlier. Y’know, I kinda almost forgot?” 

“After all your worrying? That’s a shocker,” Sacchan said, with light sarcasm that Misaki was beginning to be able to recognize. 

“It’s all that homework. It makes me forget things!” Misaki protested. “And besides, I still have to go back and finish that English assignment.” 

“I did offer to help. And if you still have homework, then why are you walking with me like this?” 

“It’s _because_ I still have homework that I’m walking with you.” 

“I don’t recall signing up to enable your procrastination.” 

“Shut up.” 

“Though I must say, I’m surprised you’re actually coming up the front walk with me like this. I thought you were worried about ghosts?” 

Oh shit. Misaki had forgotten about that. Homework really did mess with his brain. 

“Th-that’s, uh…” 

Sacchan snickered at him, and Misaki felt his face go from ashen to crimson. 

“You jerk! Don’t make fun of me!” he yelped. 

“Oh look, we’re at my front door. Guess that’s your cue to leave, Misaki,” Sacchan teased. 

“Hey! You-” 

Sacchan was already closing the door. Misaki had half a mind to pound on the door so he could give her a piece of his mind, but she probably wouldn’t open it just to spite him. 

As if reading his mind, the door opened just a crack, and Sacchan peeked out. 

“Also, um, thanks. For- for looking out for me today. It was fun. See you tomorrow?” 

“Yeah,” Misaki replied. “Um, do you wanna go to school together? Or your mom’s probably driving you again, nevermind.” 

The door opened all the way as Sacchan scoffed. 

“Like she’d go out of her way when she doesn’t need to. I’ll be getting myself to school from now on. So if you wanted to meet and go together… I wouldn’t mind.” 

“Oh. Uh, cool. I guess we could do that then. Do you want to walk or take the bus? Walking’s faster but… actually, I guess we should take the bus so you don’t get too tired, I mean-” 

“Walking is fine. Today was just… I was a little overwhelmed, and then they closed the windows during class and I overheated a bit is all. Really, I’m not _that_ weak.” 

“O-oh. Wait, they closed the windows? Why would they do that? Our school doesn’t have AC and it’s almost summer!” 

“Uhh, I’m not really sure. Anyway, what time should we meet up?” 

“I’ll be here at 7:30, how’s that sound?” 

“Good. Great. Um, anyway, you should really go back to your homework. Good night, Misaki.” 

“Night, Sacchan.” Misaki waved as the door closed again and then turned back towards home. He didn’t run lest he bother the ghosts, but he felt like running so that he could go lock himself in his room and die over the fact that he had just arranged to meet Sacchan in the morning. But before that, he had to go do his chores and finish his homework and then he needed to consult his friends about this strange fluttery feeling in his chest. 

* * *

As soon as he closed the door on Misaki the second time, Saruhiko took five deliberate steps away from it and then raced to his room. What a day. And that last conversation with Misaki on top of everything? He felt like imploding. It had been so great and yet so awful at the same time. Misaki was walking with him because he thought he was weak: awful. But no, Misaki had forgotten about that: good? Oh, Misaki was just using him to avoid homework: awful. Misaki freaking out about ghosts: cuteness overload. Misaki getting mad at him for making fun of him: bad. Misaki asking if he wanted to go to school together: be still his pounding heart, that was better than anything he might have hoped for. 

And then he’d gone and practically told Misaki that it was his fault that Saruhiko had fainted. Real nice. It was like he should write a book, “How to Ruin Your Chances With Your Crush in One Fell Swoop”. Luckily, Misaki hadn’t seemed to notice. Saruhiko wasn’t trying to blame him or anything. And really, in a strange way, he liked that Misaki was so loud. It was part of his vibrance, what made him shine. Besides, if the guy was a walking trainwreck, then it made sense for him to be loud, because who had ever heard of a quiet trainwreck? 

And crap, this was definitely a crush, and it was getting out of hand at an alarming rate. But seriously, how was Misaki so cute? The way he got embarrassed over things, the way he made such a big show of his homework without even thinking about it, the way he worried- okay that last one was a bit annoying. Saruhiko had bad health, but that didn’t mean he was about to keel over the moment the wind blew on him or anything. But still. And seeing how different Misaki was at home with his family? That was the only real threat to Saruhiko’s health, because who wouldn’t die inside seeing their crush carry his little sister around the room while making airplane noises before seating her at the table? Or when Misaki let his little brother steal some of the meat off his plate because he liked it? Critical hit. 

What a shame this crush on Misaki was never going to get anywhere. 

Maybe that was why it was called a crush. Because the reality of its futility was crushing. 

Well, even if his crush was hopeless, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it while it lasted. And it wasn’t like Saruhiko didn’t have other options. 

Speaking of which, it was about time to see if his other option was online tonight. If not, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. If worse came to worst, he could try talking to one of the other members of yatagarasu’s guild, but he’d really rather not. They were all annoying. There was a very good reason Saruhiko had chosen to join Scepter 4 and not Homra, and it was the types of people in each of the guilds. Scepter 4 was for sane people. Homra was for punks who acted tough despite the fact that aside from their core members, everyone in their guild was a total noob. And then there were the other main guilds, like Jungle which was for trolls and Cathedral which was for old-school gamers and Hakumaitou for people who only ever joked around and Joker for players who cultivated non-combatant skills like craftsmanship. And of course there was the admin guild, Tokijikuin, and all the casual guilds that no one cared about because only those seven guilds ever ranked. Saruhiko wasn’t about to join some back-asswards guild of half-hearted players, and Scepter 4 was the only worthwhile one he could abide. 

But as yatagarasu had proven, that didn’t mean there weren’t worthwhile players in other guilds. Mostly just yatagarasu, though moneyshinobi from Jungle was also tolerable. 

Saruhiko powered up his computer and went online. He did a quick scan of the Scepter 4 forums and saw nothing of interest, and a quick search for yatagarasu’s player id showed he wasn’t online, so Saruhiko went to find a dungeon to farm supplies for a bit. After over an hour of collecting low-grade items that he really didn’t need and wouldn’t really garner much in-game currency if he sold them, Saruhiko was about to give up when he tried searching yatagarasu’s status one more time and saw that he was finally online. Unfortunately, he seemed to still be in the homra guild hall, and who knew how long he’d be there. But at least if Saruhiko waited for a bit, he’d come out sooner or later. He always did. It was like clockwork, ever since they’d first encountered each other. 

Their first meeting had been quite the accident. Saruhiko had been trying to level up when another player had come flying out of nowhere. That player had been yatagarasu, and he’d been being chased by a horde of low-grade monsters. Seeing as how the two of them were both beginners, they’d almost died. Upon discovering that they were in opposing guilds, they’d gone their separate ways, but similar incidents soon followed. They seemed to pick the same dungeons at the same times. It was only after they’d been forced to work together to survive a few times that they grudgingly accepted that they worked well together and formed a sort of truce. After that, things had quickly evolved into their current relationship. 

Saruhiko had just finished dumping useless items and moved over to a part of the map with some decent enemies when yatagarasu showed up. 

_glasses4lyfe: ur late_  
_yatagarasu: wow dindt no i had a cirfew mom_  
_glasses4lyfe: again, I implore u 2 please learn to spell_  
_glasses4lyfe: and punctuate_  
_yatagarasu: shaddap_  
_glasses4lyfe: okay but seriously_  
_glasses4lyfe: where have u been?_  
_yatagarasu: sorry got in truble w/ my mom last nighr_  
_yatagarasu: and i had homrwoek 2 finish_  
_yatagarasu: plus i had 2 ask my freidns something_  
_yatagarasu: so wats up_  
_glasses4lyfe: not much. Started at a new school today_  
_yatagarasu: o rly_  
_yatagarasu: cool_  
_yatagarasu: u move or something_  
_glasses4lyfe: can’t u please at least use question marks? Or do u not use punctuation just to annoy me?_  
_yatagarasu: …_  
_yatagarasu: jk_  
_glasses4lyfe: yeah, I moved, btw_  
_yatagarasu: do u liek ur new schoool_  
_glasses4lyfe: there r how many different apps to correct spelling errors, and yet u still type like a 5yo_  
_glasses4lyfe: and it’s alright so far_  
_glasses4lyfe: though the guy next door might be a problem_  
_glasses4lyfe: he’s super cute_  
_glasses4lyfe: and I am hella gay_  
_glasses4lyfe: and he’s kinda a trainwreck, but in a good way, y’know?_  
_yatagarasu: i feel u_  
_yatagarasu: that’s actuely kinda what i was takling 2 my gild abotu_  
_yatagarasu: like i actuely got a new neighbor 2_  
_yatagarasu: and shes rly prtty_  
_yatagarasu: and kinda fun?_  
_glasses4lyfe: omg a question mark_  
_yatagarasu: expcet i thot i was gay_  
_yatagarasu: and shu tup_  
_yatagarasu: but i kinda lkie her?_  
_yatagarasu: and tlked 3 frends and they confrmed i hav crush_  
_yatagarasu: so now we think maybe im by_  
_yatagarasu: i did not no tat was a thing_  
_glasses4lyfe: and this is y I like talking to u. It’s just so amazing, some of the things u say_  
_glasses4lyfe: yes, being bisexual is a thing_  
_glasses4lyfe: though I don’t understand why u needed to talk to ur friends to know that u had a crush_  
_yatagarasu: im bad with that kindsa stuff ok_  
_yatagarasu: !!!_  
_glasses4lyfe: just like ur bad at spelling_  
_yatagarasu: shtup_  
_yatagarasu: i alreddy had 2 put up wiht my firends laffing at me about it_  
_glasses4lyfe: oh_  
_glasses4lyfe: I’m sorry_  
_glasses4lyfe: ur right, sexuality can be a confusing thing_  
_yatagarasu: ur maikfn gun of me rnt u_  
_glasses4lyfe: if ur trying to accuse me of making fun of u, no, I’m not_  
_glasses4lyfe: well, I guess I am making fun of ur spelling_  
_glasses4lyfe: but nothing else, I swear_  
_glasses4lyfe: I actually didn’t realize I was gay until right before I came out to you_  
_glasses4lyfe: and actually you were kinda the first person I came out to, jsyk_  
_yatagarasu: wiat rly_  
_glasses4lyfe: yeah_  
_glasses4lyfe: it was kinda testing it out I guess?_  
_glasses4lyfe: like, if it went bad with u, I think I’d probably still be in denial about it_  
_yatagarasu: o shit_  
_yatagarasu: thnx 4 trustnig me i gess_  
_glasses4lyfe: ur a pretty trustworthy guy_  
_glasses4lyfe: but also I kinda thought that if someone I only knew online rejected me over it, it wasn’t a big deal_  
_glasses4lyfe: whereas if real people freak out on you… it’s a little harder, right?_  
_yatagarasu: totes_  
_glasses4lyfe: plus I don’t really have a lot of irl friends to spring that one on_  
_yatagarasu: y not_  
_glasses4lyfe: not many people I find worth knowing_  
_yatagarasu: wat about that traniwrevk guy ;)_  
_glasses4lyfe: … shut up_  
_yatagarasu: lol_  
_yatagarasu: i guess thats kinda cool tho_  
_yatagarasu: leik id b nothing w/o my frineds_  
_yatagarasu: nd i defs woodnt have realixed im gay_  
_yatagarasu: or bi_  
_yatagarasu: that stuff is hard_  
_glasses4lyfe: it’s only hard because people expect u 2 b hetero_  
_yataragarasu: um wat_  
_glasses4lyfe: heterosexual. It means straight_  
_yatagarasu: o rite_  
_yatagarasu: but like i also just dont get it_  
_yatagarasu: like im not good at figuring this stuff out on mt onw_  
_yatagarasu: tho i gues im pretty luky cuz som of my friends r gay 2_  
_yatagarasu: like 2 of them were even dating for a wile buti t didnt work out sothey broke up ___  
_yatagarasu: but they were pretty cool about breaking up_  
_yatagarasu: like ew were alll worried itd b awkward andstuff but they wree totally okay with each ither_  
_yatagarasu: rly the only thing that changed was that they stopped kissing_  
_glasses4lyfe: personally I think it’d be more awkward when they were dating, since you’d just be a constant third wheel_  
_yatagarasu: nah they were never super clingy or anything_  
_yatagarasu: nd ti was usually all of us together as agorup and not just those 2 and 1 of us alone_  
_glasses4lyfe: I guess. Now let’s go kill some monsters_  
_glasses4lyfe: ur terrible spelling is giving me headaches_  
_yatagarasu: i hipe u get killed by seomthing_  
_glasses4lyfe: as if you wouldn’t come save me_  
_yatagarasu: …_

____

Saruhiko smiled as they abandoned their chat for the relative non-talking of running a dungeon. There would still be the occasional communications necessary for cooperation, of course, but they’d had their talk and could now fall into a quiet companionship. 

The smile faded though, as yatagarasu’s words sank in. He liked someone. A girl. Of course he did. And in a world where heterosexuality was the norm and the expectation, what guy would choose another guy, particularly one he only knew online, over a pretty girl who was also his neighbor? It probably wouldn’t happen. So that was two crushes in the dust now. Fuck. Well, there would be other gay guys around. Saruhiko supposed he wouldn’t mind if that Reisi guy he’d met swung that way… 

_yatagarasu: btw, where di u move 2?_  
_glasses4lyfe: Shizume town_  
_yatagarasu: sweet thats where i live_  
_yatagarasu: maybe we should try and meet up offline sometiem_  
_glasses4lyfe: yeah, maybe_

Or maybe not. 

It was strange. For months now, Saruhiko had wanted to meet his online friend. He’d been thinking about ways to broach the subject of an offline meetup with yatagarasu, and now, the guy was doing it for him. And twenty minutes ago, he would have been thrilled. But twenty minutes ago they hadn’t had a conversation about how yatagarasu had realized he was bi thanks to a crush on a girl. And sure, maybe they’d meet and yatagarasu would turn out to be some disgusting creep and Saruhiko would never want to talk to him again and that would be fine. But if yatagarasu wasn’t a creep, or worse, was cute? Then Saruhiko would have just another Misaki situation: being good friends with a cute guy who he kinda wanted to make out with but who he absolutely didn’t stand a chance with. 

Well, whatever. For now, Saruhiko could just work on being a good friend. That meant going to school with Misaki and running dungeons with yatagarasu, and keeping his gayness all to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you need any translations for Yata's bad spelling, let me know. And if you're annoyed by it, you can comfort yourself with the fact that I suffered greatly trying to type it. I tried to ban myself from fixing any typos I made, and it was very hard to go against that instinct.  
> Also, when Yata said some of his friends are gay, he meant almost all of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Misaki had reset his alarm to half an hour earlier to make sure he could get up and be ready in time to meet Sacchan. His mom commented on it, since he usually waited until the very last second to get out of bed, throw on his uniform, scarf down breakfast, and race out the door to skateboard to school at breakneck speed and only just barely arrive on time. And here he was, up early for the second day in a row. He was a little embarrassed, since talking with his friends last night had brought him to the realization that he was doing this because he apparently had a crush on Sacchan, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with such a development. Like, how were you supposed to act when you had a crush on someone? You weren’t supposed to tell them, were you? Oh please no, he didn’t think he could handle telling her about it. She’d hate him for sure. 

Though speaking of new developments that he wasn’t sure how to deal with, there was that other one. Just in case it had been a dream, he pulled out his PDA and checked the logs to see the conversation with Izumo was still there. 

_yatagarasu: ixumo u still up_   
_Smokinhot: no_   
_yatagarasu: yes u r_   
_yatagarasu: i nned ur help_   
_Smokinhot: and I need sleep. It is way too late to be reading your garbled test messages. Haven’t you ever heard of autocorrect?_   
_yatagarasu: autocoeerct always gets what i type wrong_   
_yatagarasu: and can u lay off i already had to hear crap earlier_   
_Smokinhot: ohhhh? What’s this, was your little blue friend mean to you?_   
_yatagarasu: crap u mean he really is my friend_   
_Smokinhot: because if you want to get revenge on him, Mikoto’s the one you should be talking to, so good night_   
_Smokinhot: wait, you mean you didn’t realize you too were friends?_   
_yatagarasu: mikotos not replying i think hes sleep_   
_Smokinhot: oh my god, Yatachan, I really can’t believe how dense you can be_   
_yatagarasu: sos tatara and anna_   
_Smokinhot: you’re my friend and I love you but jfc how do you take so long to realize these things? You’ve been friends for months already_   
_yatagarasu: but hes blue_   
_yatagarasu: sceptre 4 is our enemies so how can he be my friend_   
_Smokinhot: they’re a rival guild. That doesn’t make them our enemies._   
_Smokinhot: and people don’t co-op dungeons every single day with their enemies_   
_Smokinhot: so what finally clued you in, if you don’t mind me asking?_   
_yatagarasu: i was the first person he came otu 2_   
_Smokinhot: :O He must really trust you_   
_yatagarasu: idk man_   
_yatagarasu: bu thanks 4 clearing that up_   
_yatagarasu: night_

Yup, it was still there, and still as confusing as ever. How could he be friends with his worst enemy? Didn’t he hate the guy? Except he wasn’t sure he had ever really hated glasses4lyfe. The guy could be kinda a jerk, but so could his other friends. And just like his other friends, glasss4lyfe always came through for him in the end. 

Whatever, he needed to hurry up and finish his breakfast, or despite his early start he’d still end up late to meet Sacchan. 

In the end, Misaki did manage to beat Sacchan outside, but only barely. They walked in awkward silence, Misaki being too nervous in light of recent revelations and Sacchan not being much of a talker, particularly not with one who was as stilted as Misaki was that morning. Conversation between them tended to come in snippets like: 

“So did you manage to finish your homework all right, Misaki?” 

“Huh?” 

And there was also: 

“You okay? You seem kinda tense.” 

“Uh, I’m- hey, do you think it’s gonna rain? I forgot my umbrella.” 

Misaki was beginning to wish he’d never suggested walking together. Why had he done this to himself? Except when he’d done this, he’d been oblivious to his crush on Sacchan. Maybe he should claim to have forgotten his textbook and run home and then skateboard to school like usual just to end this horror. 

“So far I have seen no fewer than 23 ghosts in my house,” Sacchan announced, and Misaki was so alarmed by the statement that he walked into a pole. 

“D-d-d-did you s-say tw-twenty-tw-twenty-th-three?” he warbled, his eyes wide as he checked his face with his hands to make sure it was still there. 

“I haven’t actually seen any ghosts, Misaki. I was just trying to get a reaction from you. Though I didn’t expect you to walk into anything.” 

“You shouldn’t joke about that kinda stuff!” Misaki yelped. A few people nearby jumped and turned to stare at them. Not that they weren’t already being stared at after the way Misaki had walked into that pole. “Ghosts are more likely to haunt you if you do!” 

“There’s no such thing as ghosts. And here.” Sacchan held out a handkerchief. “Your nose is starting to bleed.” 

“Shit.” Misaki started to tilt his head back, only to have Sacchan shove his head downward. 

“It’s actually bad to tilt your head back when you have a bloody nose,” she informed him. 

“Oh. R-really?” 

“Yes. Trust me, I’ve had to learn these things.” 

“Oh, right. Your health. Speaking of which, will you be okay today?” 

Sacchan rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, Misaki, I’ll be fine. I brought a folding fan today so that I won’t overheat if they close the windows again.” 

“Oh. Good. But if you’re feeling faint or anything, you should text me.” 

“Except I don’t have your contact information.” 

“Well that’s easy to fix. Give me your PDA.” 

Sacchan handed the PDA over, and Misaki input his contact information. 

“There,” he said, and handed it back. It might have been his imagination, but he could almost swear Sacchan had a small smile as she took back the PDA. “Let me know if anything happens, okay?” 

“You’re really naggy, aren’t you?” 

“Hey!” 

“But thanks. I’m grateful that you’re looking out for me.” 

“Well speaking of looking out for you, you didn’t bring another convenience store bento, did you?” 

“Well it’s not like my mom’s gonna make me a lunch,” Sacchan mumbled. 

“Then tell me what kinds of things you like and I’ll get you something at the cafeteria so that you can eat something you like.” 

“But then the bento would just get thrown out.” 

“Nah, I’ll eat it. They’re not that bad. Though once it gets colder you could also feed it to Rikio, since he never stops eating once summer is over.” 

“You don’t have to do that.” 

“Yeah I do. You need to be taking care of yourself, and that means eating a decent lunch. And like I said, I don’t mind a convenience store bento. It’s kinda a novelty for me, since my mom never buys them for us.” 

They reached school and split up to head to their different shoe lockers. They regrouped once they’d changed their shoes, and headed to the second-year classrooms together. 

“By the way, there was something I wanted to do during the morning break so I might not see you then,” Sacchan said as they headed up the stairs. 

“Oh, okay,” Misaki replied. He wanted to ask what it was but also didn’t want to pry. Besides, it could just be Sacchan making friends in her own class, which was probably a good idea. Class could be lonely if you didn’t have friends. Misaki would know. That had been him back in middle school. “Guess I’ll see you at lunch then.” 

“Yeah, see you at lunch.” 

They waved goodbye at Sacchan’s classroom, and Misaki headed towards his own class. It was only once he got to the door that he remembered that he’d talked to his friends about his crush on Sacchan and was sure to get teased mercilessly about it. Weylp, this was gonna be a loooooong day. 

* * *

It didn’t take much asking to find the student council room. Saruhiko felt a little bad, not going to hang out with Misaki during the break, but despite his total crush on the guy he didn’t know him all that well yet so surely it wasn’t that big a deal, and he did feel like someone needed to apologize to the vice-president for how rude Misaki had been towards him the previous afternoon. Besides, Misaki had mentioned having friends in his class so maybe he’d want to hang out with them. 

While the student council room had been easy enough to find, getting in turned out to be a little harder. Mainly because Saruhiko almost ran into someone in the doorway. 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” the girl said. She had a sort of happy and friendly aura that Saruhiko found tiresome, and ornaments adorning the front two strands of her hair. “Is there something I can help you with?” 

“I’m looking for Reisi Munakata,” Saruhiko replied. 

“Oh, he’s just over there,” the girl said, pointing to a desk inside the room that had several neat stacks of paper piled on top of it. She politely stepped aside so Saruhiko could pass, then exited the room, leaving him alone with only the vice president. The vice president, who, Saruhiko noticed, was sitting at a desk with a label that said “student council president”. 

“I thought you said you were the vice president,” Saruhiko said, walking over. “Or did you get promoted since yesterday?” 

“Hardly,” Reisi replied, not even looking up. “Our current president is an irresponsible sort who tends to avoid his duties as student council president because they are bothersome, but he is also the headmaster’s grandson. Because of his connections, he will never lose the position, but when he constantly shirks his responsibilities, someone must step up to the task.” 

“I see.” 

“So what can I do for you, Saruhiko Fushimi?” 

“I wanted to apologize for yesterday. For troubling you, but also for my friend’s rudeness.” 

“Those are hardly things to apologize for. Your physical condition is something you only have so much control over, and yesterday circumstances exceeded your control. And as for Misaki Yata, I am more than accustomed to his belligerent and abrasive demeanor. Besides, I’ve already received an apology on that account.” Reisi smiled slightly with the last peculiar statement. 

“Well, I still wanted to apologize. That’s all,” Saruhiko said. 

“Mr. Fushimi.” 

“It’s Saruhiko.” 

“Not Sacchan?” Saruhiko scowled at the teasing smirk on Reisi’s face. 

“Not when it can be avoided,” he replied stiffly. 

“Indeed. Then, Saruhiko, what would you say to joining the student council?” 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“As I said before, our current student council president is highly irresponsible. And unfortunately, he’s not the only one. One of our two secretaries, Miyabi Ameno, is quite close with our president and just as unreliable. Then there’s our treasurer, who you just met a bit ago. She’s quite competent, but has a bit too much faith in our president and his secretary friend, and spends far too much time trying to corral them into doing some work and therefore falls behind on her work as well. Currently, the only functional members of our core officers are myself and the other secretary, Seri Awashima. Of course, there are various minor officers and committee heads who carry out their duties, but they have other concerns and cannot take on any more than they already have. I do get some help from the members of the school disciplinary committee, which I also head, but we really need some more help.” 

“So why ask me?” 

“As it happens, I was running an errand this morning that took me to the staff room. While I was there, I couldn’t help but overhear some of the second year teachers having a discussion about a history quiz that was given yesterday. And one thing I overheard was that you obtained a perfect score, and were the only student to do so. There was some suspicion that you might have cheated, but given that it was a pop quiz and it was your first day of school ever, that seems unlikely. From this I have concluded you are a capable student and would be a good addition to our student council.” 

“I see.” 

“You don’t have to answer me now, of course, but I request that you at least consider it.” 

Oh, Saruhiko was considering it alright. For one, he’d always admired the student council characters in manga and anime. They kept order in schools, and he rather liked that idea. And now, here was a student council led by a guy who was attractive and admirable and seemed to have a solid grasp of even minute goings-on that hardly concerned him. 

“I will. I’ll let you get back to work now,” Saruhiko replied, and headed for the door. Before he got there, however, it was opened, and two people walked in carrying stacks of books. One was a girl Saruhiko did not recognize- blonde, with her hair carefully pulled back and a look on her face like someone you did not want to mess with. The other, surprisingly enough, was Izumo. 

“Just set them over here, thank you,” the girl said. 

“Okaaay,” Izumo replied, then noticed Saruhiko. “Oh, hey Sacchan.” 

“Hey Izumo,” Saruhiko replied, trying not to cringe at that blasted nickname Misaki had saddled him with. Coming from Misaki, he supposed he didn’t really mind, but from other people… Suffice to say, it grated on his nerves like a peel on a zester. 

“Are you heading out? Let me put this down and I’ll go with you,” Izumo said, then glanced at the blonde girl. “Is that alright, Seri-chan?” 

“As I told you before, I am more than capable of handling things on my own,” she replied. 

“But what kind of gentleman leaves a lady to manage a heavy load all by herself?” he asked with a wink. The girl, Seri, rolled her eyes, and Izumo laughed before jogging over to join Saruhiko at the door. 

“So, what brought you to the student council room today?” he asked cheerfully. 

“I had something to take care of,” Saruhiko said sullenly. He supposed Izumo wasn’t that bad, but that didn’t mean Saruhiko wanted to be all buddy-buddy with him. 

“Such as?” 

“I wanted to thank Reisi for looking after me yesterday.” 

“Oh right, I heard about that.” 

“Great, does everyone know that I fainted?” Saruhiko said sarcastically. 

“Word gets around about those kinds of things. A wise man keeps an ear to the grapevine. Plus also Yatachan is a worrywort and was a little scared by it, and so me and Anna and Tatara and Mikoto had to reassure him you wouldn’t die just because you fainted once.” 

“He’s kinda an idiot, isn’t he?” Saruhiko asked, the words coming out of his mouth before he could stop them. Izumo laughed. 

“You have no idea,” Izumo said, shaking his head. “That guy… So what did you think of our esteemed de facto student council prez?” 

“You mean Reisi?” Izumo nodded. “He seems… unfathomable. He asked me to join the student council.” 

“He did?” Izumo peered at him, searching. “Huh. Do you think you will?” 

“I dunno. Maybe. It seems like it could be a good thing.” 

“It could, but in your case, it could also be a very bad thing.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“Yatachan. He hates the student council and everything to do with it.” 

Saruhiko felt something flip deep in the pit of his stomach. Oh. That was something bad. 

“And yes,” Izumo continued, “it’s not really any of his business what you choose to do, but he gets a little worked up over things like that. He might even accuse you of betrayal, and it’s ridiculous, but that’s just how he is.” 

“I see. Is there… any specific reason why?” 

“There’s a lot of reasons. Let’s see… There’s the fact that the student council and the school disciplinary committee have close ties- in fact they’re pretty much the same thing, with a few exceptions- and he’s constantly getting into arguments with the SDC, then there’s a fact that one of the officers called him short once and he hates when people do that, there’s the fact that another officer mistook him for a girl once back in middle school… but I guess the number one reason is actually Reisi Munakata himself. Reisi and Mikoto, they’re sort of like rivals, and of course Yatachan is a very solid Mikoto-supporter. Then there was that thing about a year ago, where Mikoto ended up in the hospital for a few days and it was really his own fault but Reisi happened to be involved a bit and Yatachan blamed him, and basically he decided on his own that the student council is his enemy and nothing good is associated with them.” 

“He sure is a… dedicated friend… to Mikoto.” 

“He doesn’t like him like that, if that’s what you’re implying. It’s more hero-worship than anything else. We all stand up for each other when the need arises, but Mikoto is the one people listen to most. And given how simple Yatachan is, he only really notices when Mikoto does things, since the rest of us tend to be more subtle. I guess in the end it’s because they’re similar types.” 

“They’re not that similar,” Saruhiko muttered. 

“I just meant they’re similar in that they tend to take the simplest approach to things,” Izumo amended, hands up defensively. “They tend to punch first and ask questions later.” 

“I see.” 

They walked in silence for about three steps, and then Izumo spoke up again. 

“So… you like Yatachan, huh?” 

Saruhiko felt his face turning bright red. 

“That would be a yes,” Izumo said in satisfaction. 

“J-just as friends,” Saruhiko mumbled, trying to climb out of the hole he’d just found himself in. 

“Yes, because you would blush that much if you like him only as a friend,” Izumo drawled. “For the record, most people when asked if they like their friend romantically would laugh it off and say they’re just friends or something like that, not turn into a tinted light bulb.” 

“Shut up. If he finds out then he’ll hate me so-” 

“Woah, hold on a second there. Why would he hate you? Yes he’s super petty about things, but even he’s not one to resent someone for their feelings.” 

“Except won’t he be bothered that I’m gay?” 

“I doubt it. Rikio and Anna are the only ones who’re truly straight among our friend group.” 

“Wait, so you’re all gay?” 

“The other three are. My sexuality is nonexistent, if you’ll pardon the pun. You know, because I’m just not interested, but also a lot of people don’t understand that asexuality is a thing?” 

“But weren’t you flirting with that girl earlier?” 

“Seri-chan and I have been friends since kindergarten. We’re close, so it may seem like we’re flirting, but she has a girlfriend in the library club and the two of them are definitely soulmates. They both have the strangest taste in food, let me tell you.” 

“So… he wouldn’t be bothered?” 

“Nope.” 

“O-oh.” 

“Though if you’d rather keep it to yourself for now, I won’t say anything. But if you ever want some help, let me know. That guy can be pretty dense, so if you decide to try and get his attention, it will probably be pretty hard to get through to him and a little help might be useful. That offer being stated, you hurt our boy, we hurt you, okay?” 

“And what if I’m the one who gets hurt?” 

“Then we’ll make him regret it because we raised him better than that.” 

“What are you, his dad?” 

“Sometimes it feels that way. Actually, not his dad. It feels more like I’m a teacher at a daycare and all the others are kids I’ve gotta look after all day. Rikio’s the kid that will eat anything if you give him half a chance. Tatara’s the kid that hurts himself on everything if you’re not careful and will wander off and take candy from strangers. Mikoto would be the destructive kid who manages to raze everything in the blink of an eye if you ever take your eyes off him, and Yatachan’s the hyperactive kid who runs everywhere and screams a lot and cries if the other kids won’t play with him. And then I guess Anna’s the responsible kid who tries to keep the others out of trouble but mostly gets dragged into their messes instead. And oh geez, I can actually picture that. That’s gonna haunt me for a while now.” 

“Speaking of haunting, Misaki walked into a telephone pole when I said something about ghosts this morning.” 

Izumo brayed out a single laugh, then covered his mouth to contain any further guffaws. 

“That’s hilarious,” he gasped. 

Good. It seemed Saruhiko had successfully changed the subject. They didn’t say much else as they walked, but when they reached the second-year hallway Izumo asked for Saruhiko’s PDA so that Saruhiko could contact him if he needed to. Saruhiko reluctantly complied, and then once he had his PDA back he returned to his classroom. 

Barely five minutes later, just as class was about to start, he was already getting a text from him. 

_IzumoKusanagi: hey Sacchan, can I ask a favor of you?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: it could benefit you as well_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: what?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: so you know how Yatachan’s an idiot, right?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: well, his grades are always just scraping by_   
_IzumoKusanagi: and it seems right now he’s struggling with even that_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: he did seem to be struggling with his homework yesterday..._   
_IzumoKusanagi: …_   
_IzumoKusanagi: you were doing homework together yesterday?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: nevermind_   
_IzumoKusanagi: point is, apparently he was called to the staff room during break and they’re talking about holding him back if his grades don’t pick up_   
_IzumoKusanagi: and he’s not gonna ask us to help him since we’re exam students_   
_IzumoKusanagi: but Shouhei said he’s pretty depressed right now_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: I can offer to help, but I’m not sure he’ll accept_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: I did offer to help with his homework yesterday and he refused_   
_IzumoKusanagi: that idiot and his pride_   
_IzumoKusanagi: well if he’s failing he just might accept_   
_IzumoKusanagi: he neve wants to disappoint his mom_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: k_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: class is starting, so bye_   
_IzumoKusanagi: thanks_   
_IzumoKusanagi: just so you know, he’s REALLY bad at studying_   
_IzumoKusanagi: so good luck_

Saruhiko wasn’t sure whether to thank Izumo or slap him the next time he saw him. This certainly could be a good opportunity to get closer to Misaki. But at the same time, it all seemed a little too convenient. Like maybe Izumo was trying to help him by making up a situation, when he did not need anyone’s help, thank you very much. 

When lunch came around, Saruhiko was more suspicious than ever, as Misaki seemed perfectly cheerful. Almost annoyingly so. He was laughing at just about everything and- scratch that, the cheer was definitely false. 

Misaki’s class didn’t have PE that day, and Saruhiko was able to make it to the end of school without another incident. He didn’t even need to pull out his fan. As soon as class was over, he went straight to Misaki’s classroom. 

Outside classroom 2-3, Saruhiko hesitated. Could he just walk in? Was that okay? What should he do? 

“Are you waiting for someone?” a guy with spiky hair asked. He was with three others; a guy with a baseball cap, a guy with strange glasses that had hexagonal frames, and a foreigner. 

“Uh, yeah. My friend,” Saruhiko said, shifting uncomfortably. 

“We can call them for you if you like,” baseball-cap said. “Who is it?” 

“M-Misaki,” Saruhiko said, cursing himself for the stammer. 

“Oy, seriously?” hexagon asked. 

“Wait, you wouldn’t be Sacchan, would you?” baseball cap asked. 

_“Can’t be. No way someone like this would hang out with our Chihuahua,”_ the foreigner said in English. 

“Chihuahua?” Saruhiko asked. 

“It’s Eric’s nickname for Yatachan,” spikes said. “And we told you to stop calling him that, you know how much it annoys him.” 

“I think that’s why he does it,” hexagon muttered as foreigner “hmph”ed. 

“He should be coming out in a minute,” baseball said. “Oy Yatachan!” he called back into the classroom, “Sacchan’s waiting for you!” 

A moment later Misaki was shoving his way out the door. Saruhiko wasn’t sure if Misaki had just happened to arrive right at that moment, or if he’d hurried out the door when he’d heard Saruhiko was waiting, but he knew he’d like to think it was the latter. Something about the idea of Misaki being at his beck and call rather appealed to him. 

* * *

It had been another long day. First he’d had Tatara and Mikoto both worrying about him since they were the ones who’d had to explain to him that he was bi. Ever since he’d been made aware of his sexuality he tended to turn to them when it came to matters of romance, since they were gay too. Then he’d had Izumo worrying about him since Izumo had been the only one still awake when he’d realized glasses4lyfe was his friend. And then the break had come and Mr. Shiotsu calling him to the staff room to warn him about possibly being held back. His mom was going to be so mad when she heard. He hated that he was such a terrible son, but he really was trying his best. It was just that his best just wasn’t nearly good enough. 

And then on the walk home, Sacchan offered him salvation. 

“Do you want to try doing homework together? It was pretty boring working on it alone, and doing with a friend might make it more interesting,” she said. 

But of course Misaki’s pride couldn’t allow him to just throw himself at her feet in gratitude. Typical. 

“I’d probably just be a bother since I’m really bad at it,” he mumbled. 

“All the more reason to work on it together,” Sacchan said. “Besides, my mom will probably be thrilled if I’m going to your place after school each day rather than going straight home. More time to herself and all.” 

Well, when Sacchan put it like that, he was helping her out just as much as she was helping him, right? No? Well whatever, he really needed help if he didn’t want to get held back. And he really didn’t want to. Sure, Anna would still be around so he wouldn’t be completely alone, but his mom would probably never talk to him again and there was that kid Sukuna who was a little shit and would never let Misaki hear the end of it even though Sukuna’s grades weren’t much better than Misaki’s and he’d be that guy everyone pointed to in the hallways and whispered about and it would be like middle school all over again. 

“O-okay,” he stammered, and that was the end of it. Sacchan called her mom and let her know she’d be at Misaki’s place, and once again he let her into his house and got her some water and got himself some milk and grabbed some snacks and they went to his room to start their homework. 

Even with Sacchan’s help, it was a struggle. He just couldn’t seem to remember the things they were expected to know. History was probably the worst, with all the dates and stuff, and even with helpful little chants to try and get him to remember things, he still got it all mixed up. It probably didn’t help that he could barely remember who was who, and even tended to mix up names so that figures such as Nobunaga Oda and Ieyasu Tokugawa became Nobunaga Tokugawa and Ieyasu Oda. And then there was English with all those words he was supposed to learn, and science and math both had all sorts of formulas, and he was just one guy so how was he supposed to remember all this? 

Luckily for him, Sacchan was really patient. Less luckily, she was also good at keeping him on task whenever he tried to weasel his way into taking a break. Even when his mom came in to check on them and ask if Sacchan wanted to stay for dinner (tonkatsu), Sacchan was relentless. Sacchan did stay for dinner, which was just as well, since the homework hell lasted even longer than normal thanks to Sacchan trying to cram facts into his brain. Flunking was beginning to seem more and more appealing to Misaki. 

After seeing Sacchan back to her house, Misaki was quick to rush home and snag the computer. He went online and signed in, and went straight to the forum for the core members of Homra. 

_yatagarasu: remind ne again y school is impoeratnt_   
_Sanchan: Well it could teach you to spell, for one_   
_yatagarasu: what is it w/ every1 and making fun of my spelling_   
_Sanchan: Good spelling is impoeratnt._   
_mybanginbangs: lol_   
_Thehot1: lol_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: he’s either gonna rage quit or track you guys down and murder you_   
_foodisgood: murder. Definitely murder if it’s Yatachan_   
_baseballthug: surely he wouldn’t do that_   
_foodisgood: wanna bet?_   
_foodisgood: remember that time he threw me into the wall at the skate park?_   
_Smokinhot: I do. He almost threw you into me_   
_Thehot1: lol yeah u were so pissed_   
_Smokinhot: how is that funny?_   
_Smokinhot: I’m getting pissed again, just ‘cuz your attitude_   
_baseballthug: okay but he threw u because u tried to eat Mikoto’s share of the pizza we’d gotten_   
_firelion: whats this about trying to eat my pizza_   
_foodisgood: you’d already said you weren’t hungry!_   
_letsallhavefun: it’s not something to get mad about guys_   
_letsallhavefun: after all, it ended up being a precious memory, right?_   
_foodisgood: nah, I think I almost broke my back_   
_yatagarasu: plus izumo yllede at us and make us apologize 2 the wall_   
_Smokinhot: did you learn your lesson?_   
_yatagarasu: yea_   
_foodisgood: yes_   
_canwekeepit?: speaking of lessons, school is important because it’s where you go to learn basic life skills_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: except when is someone ever going to ask me to do a differential equation when I’m trying to buy my groceries?_   
_canwekeepit?: point._   
_canwekeepit?: but it’s also where you go to learn to socialize_   
_mybanginbangs: except he can’t even do that so I guess he’s failing on all counts lol_   
_canwekeepit?: Eric, that wasn’t nice_   
_Sanchan: But it’s pretty accurate_   
_Sanchan: Aside from us he never talks to anyone and he’s scared of 99.9% of girls_   
_letsallhavefun: but it’s normal to only talk to your friends_   
_letsallhavefun: and he does talk to someone other than us_   
_letsallhavefun: he talks to Sacchan_   
_baseballthug: that’s right! We met Sacchan today!_   
_LionPrincess: :(_   
_LionPrincess: Does this mean I’m the only one who hasn’t officially met Saruhiko then?_   
_Sanchan: Wait, Sacchan’s real name is Saruhiko? Lol_   
_Thehot1: Masaomi and I haven’t met Sacchan yet either_   
_mybanginbangs: Sacchan just came to our class to meet Yatachan after school is all_   
_letsallhavefun: awwww, cute_   
_yatagarasu: shut up Tatara_   
_LionPrincess: It’s good that you made a new friend, Misaki_   
_firelion: guess our little boy is growing up_   
_yatagarasu: fukc u_   
_yatagarasu: omg sorry Mikoto_   
_yatagarasu: i thought htat was sineibe else_   
_Sanchan: Sineibe?_   
_yatagarasu: fucks u bandou_   
_Sanchan: You do realize that “s” just made it seem like we’re fuck-buddies, right_   
_Sanchan: And I really don’t like u that way_   
_Sanchan: I already have Shouhei, why would I want you as well?_   
_Smokinhot: guess it’s my turn to stand up for the idiot, huh?_   
_Smokinhot: first off, “i” is left of “o” and “n” is left of “m” and “b” is left of “n” so it’s easy for “someone” to become “sineibe” if your hands are off_   
_Sanchan: But most of us actually check out spelling_   
_Smokinhot: secondly, there was no need to point out the implications of that when u knew full well that it was a typo_   
_letsallhavefun: now, now, I think Sanchan probably just wanted an excuse to bring up his relationship and didn’t mean anything bad by it_   
_letsallhavefun: you guys are coming up on your 19-month anniversary, right?_   
_baseballthug: yeah <3_   
_Sanchan: <3_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: I feel a sudden urge to punch something…_   
_Thehot1: or someone…_   
_mybangingbangs: *sineibe_   
_foodisgood: if you’re been dating for over a year and a half why are you still celebrating monthly anniversaries?_   
_mybanginbangs: don’t worry, the honeymoon phase will soon wear off_   
_mybanginbangs: lol_   
_yatagarasu: lol_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: lol_   
_baseballthug: good thing we have each other because I’m really not feeling the love from you guys right now_   
_Sanchan: assholes_   
_Thehot1: lol_   
_yatagarasu: oh shit its gettinglate_   
_yatagarasu: gtg_   
_yatagarasu: dont wanna keep my firend waiting 2 long_   
_canwekeepit?: wait, did he just refer to that guy from Scepter 4 as his friend?_

Misaki left the forum and searched glasses4lyfe’s player id, finding him in a mid-level dungeon. Easy stuff for the likes of them. He headed over to the map and opened up their chat. 

_yatagarasu: hey sorry im late_   
_glasses4lyfe: no worries_   
_glasses4lyfe: I haven’t been online all that long_   
_glasses4lyfe: I was out late helping a friend with homework_   
_yatagarasu: by a friend u mean trainsweks guy?_   
_yatagarasu: *trainwreck guy_   
_glasses4lyfe: as novel as u correcting ur spelling is, u don’t really need to_   
_glasses4lyfe: I’m quite used to ur typos_   
_glasses4lyfe: and yes, it was trainwreck guy_   
_yatagarasu: HA I KNEW IT_   
_yatagarasu: its like im psychotic or something_   
_glasses4lyfe: ur psychotic alright_   
_yatagarasu: so does that mean things r going well wit him_   
_glasses4lyfe: idk maybe_   
_glasses4lyfe: his friend seemed to think it was a good idea_   
_yatagarasu: hwats whis friend got 3 do with it?_   
_glasses4lyfe: when I was talking to his friend I kinda admitted to having a gay crush on him, and his friend offered to help me out_   
_yatagarasu: sound s like uv got suppoet_   
_yatagarasu: nice_   
_glasses4lyfe: personally I’m not sure how I feel about his help_   
_glasses4lyfe: but also can u really get closer to someone over homework?_   
_yatagarasu: idk ive never tried it_   
_yatagarasu: but i di dhomework with my crush tofay and it was nice_   
_yatagarasu: well the homework wasnt_   
_yatagarasu: the homework sucked_   
_yatagarasu: but she stayed for sinner and i walked her home and those were nive_   
_glasses4lyfe: hmmmmm_   
_glasses4lyfe: well it felt like I was kinda getting on his nerves and making him hate me, but he did still want to walk to school together tomorrow…_   
_yatagarasu: ur walking to school with him 2_   
_yatagarasu: ?!?!?_   
_yatagarasu: u must have some serious moves_   
_glasses4lyfe: as if_   
_glasses4lyfe: he probably just pities me because he knows I don’t have any other friends_   
_yatagarasu: so make some and see if that changes anything_   
_glasses4lyfe: the only other person I’ve met that I’m actually interested in knowing is someone he hates_   
_glasses4lyfe: so making other friends might not work out so well_   
_yatagarasu: ur allowed to make friends with whoever u want and if he canr accept that then screw him_   
_glasses4lyfe: I suppose ur right_   
_glasses4lyfe: it’s not like things are gonna go anywhere with him anyway_   
_yatagarasu: but ur doing omework and walkning 2 school togethe_   
_glasses4lyfe: and he barely even notices me if his other friends are around_   
_glasses4lyfe: trust me, I’m nothing special to him_   
_yatagarasu: <3 _   
_yatagarasu: well ur something special 2 me_   
_yatagarasu: after all were friends right_   
_glasses4lyfe: yeah, we are_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seri's girlfriend is Yayoi Yoshino. Yayoi does not actually make an appearance, but she plays Color Kings as well, under the username Yayonnaise.  
> Also, a quick guide to the usernames of Homra's core members:  
> Sanchan- Saburouta (Bandou)  
> mybanginbangs- Eric  
> Thehot1- Yoh (Chitose)  
> ButIlikemyfedora- Masaomi (Dewa)  
> foodisgood- Rikio (Kamamoto)  
> baseballthug- Shouhei (Akagi)  
> firelion- Mikoto  
> letsallhavefun- Tatara  
> canwekeepit?- Kousuke (Fujishima)  
> yatagarasu- Misaki  
> LionPrincess- Anna


	4. Chapter 4

Saruhiko was almost late to meet Misaki. He hadn’t slept well the night before, too hung up on the fact that yatagarasu had finally admitted to them being friends. And not only that, but had called him special. Him, Saruhiko! It both renewed his wish to meet yatagarasu, and left him even more terrified of such a meeting. 

On their way to school, Saruhiko quizzed Misaki about things that had been on their homework the day before. Just like when they’d been studying, most of Misaki’s answers got all mixed up. He’d give accurate dates to the wrong events and have the correct translation of an English word but with the wrong conjugation. Saruhiko wasn’t sure whether to be frustrated or proud, since it seemed that Misaki did sort of know what they’d studied, he just knew it wrong. Well, perhaps one day was a bit too soon to expect to see a difference. 

At the morning break, Saruhiko went to Misaki’s classroom to quiz him some more. Misaki’s friends joined in on their little study session, not having particularly good grades themselves, and Misaki’s answers became even more peculiar when his friends were there, because he seemed to have the best accuracy with questions his friends got wrong. It was like the easier the question, the less likely it was that Misaki would get a correct answer. Saruhiko wasn’t sure how he was going to put this observation to use, though. 

And then at lunch, Saruhiko snapped. 

It started off well enough. Misaki got him some yakisoba bread, and they went off to that hillside where they always ate. He got introduced to a quiet girl named Anna, who reminded him that he was supposed to be stopping by the nurse’s office even if he felt fine, just in case. Aside from that, she left him alone, and Saruhiko kinda liked her for that. While the others were nice enough, he did find it annoying when they tried to draw him into conversations, so he appreciated her respect for his silence. 

It was after they’d all finished eating and were just sitting around talking that things got bad. Anna and Izumo went to throw away everyone’s trash, and Rikio started trying to talk to Saruhiko, asking him what his favorite summer activities were since summer vacation was coming up and you had to plan ahead, apparently. And while Saruhiko was dodging Rikio’s questions, Misaki started talking to Tatara and Mikoto. 

Saruhiko wasn’t sure what did it. Maybe it was the animated look on Misaki’s face. Maybe it was the fond and bemused smile on Mikoto’s. Or maybe it was the way Misaki seemed to lean in close when talking to Mikoto. But without warning, Saruhiko found his mouth moving on its own, and he was saying, “You know, I was thinking about joining the student council.” 

The effect on everyone was instantaneous. All chatter among the little group stopped. Everyone froze. Misaki turned pale, and his jaw went slack and he made a strangled sort of noise. 

“Er, why’s that?” Rikio asked, looking nervously at Misaki. 

“Well, Reisi asked me to and it sounds interesting so why not?” 

Misaki’s eyes narrowed and his face began to redden in anger. 

“You can’t do that!” Misaki sputtered. 

“Why not?” Saruhiko asked, looking him square in the eye and daring him to give him a reason not to. 

“You- you- that’s-!” 

“I think it’s a good idea,” Mikoto said, and Misaki’s face paled again as he turned to Mikoto, his mouth hanging open in shock. 

“What? Mikoto!” Misaki yelped. 

“What’s going on?” Izumo asked as he and Anna returned. 

“Uh, Sacchan was just talking about joining the student council,” Tatara said, laughing nervously as if he were sharing information such as Saruhiko announcing he wanted to train circus dogs. Izumo blinked several times in shock. Beside him, Anna tilted her head and gave Saruhiko a long look. 

“And Mikoto just said it’s a good idea!” Misaki complained. 

“Oh?” Izumo said, and gave Mikoto a look that Saruhiko couldn’t quite comprehend. 

“Well, it’s not like Sacchan really likes it here,” Mikoto said. 

“Hm, that’s true,” Tatara agreed over Misaki’s sputters. “You shouldn’t spend time with people you don’t really like, so if the student council is more your place, then go for it.” 

“Okay,” Saruhiko said, standing up. “Then I guess this is goodbye.” 

“See ya,” Rikio said, and Izumo, Tatara, Mikoto, and Anna all said their own forms of goodbyes as well. Only Misaki remained silent, his face a picture of surprised betrayal. Saruhiko walked away, making it around the corner of the building before he heard Misaki calling after him. 

“Sacchan, wait!” 

Saruhiko stopped and let Misaki catch up. 

“Why are you doing this?” Misaki demanded, slightly out of breath from running. 

“Well why wouldn’t I?” Saruhiko asked. “They’re right, I don’t like it back there. It’s like a tiny little world revolving around Mikoto and it’s disgusting. What’s so great about that guy anyway?” 

“How can you say that? You don’t know anything! You haven’t even been here three days! And what’s so great about Mikoto? Everything is great about him! How dare you act so high and mighty! But you know what, fine! Go join the stupid student council! Go be a stupid member of the stupid SDC! Go do whatever you want, because you’re no friend of mine!” 

Misaki stormed off, and Saruhiko took a deep breath to calm himself. He wanted to take back everything that had just been said. He wanted to rewind, and undo it all. But what’s done was done. He’d already burned that bridge, so time to cross the next one. 

The student council classroom had more activity than the last time Saruhiko had been there. As he entered, he saw at least ten different people, including Reisi and that girl from yesterday, Seri. He walked over to where Reisi was discussing something with a floppy-haired guy with bangs across his face. The floppy guy nodded at something Reisi had said and walked away, and Reisi turned to face Saruhiko. He had a smile, as if he knew exactly what Saruhiko had come to say. 

“Have you made a decision?” he asked. 

“I have,” Saruhiko replied. “I’d like to join the student council, if you don’t mind.” 

* * *

When Misaki got home, like usual, he went to get a drink and a snack. He got both his siblings something too, partly just to be nice but also partly because he felt like shit and didn’t want to start on his homework yet. But eventually, it was time to head to his room and start working. 

Except that Misaki… didn’t. He took his backpack to his room, sure enough, but he merely dumped it inside the doorway and headed to the family computer instead and went online. If his mom caught him gaming before his homework was done, he’d be deader than old man Henohenomohe who had lived next door, but Misaki needed something to make him feel better, and maybe killing some digital enemies just might do the trick. 

Only there was a chat notification waiting for him when he signed on. 

_glasses4lyfe: I know u don’t sign on until later but u’ve gotta help me_   
_glasses4lyfe: I think I fucked up_   
_glasses4lyfe: like seriously fucked up_   
_glasses4lyfe: I don’t know what to do…_

The chat indicated glasses4lyfe was still online, so Misaki typed in a reply immediately. 

_yatagarasu: wat happened_   
_glasses4lyfe: wait, ur online?_   
_yatagarasu: did u wantm y help or not_   
_glasses4lyfe: sorry, u just surprised me_   
_glasses4lyfe: I messed up_   
_yatagarasu: no shit_   
_yatagarasu: u only said tht already like 20 times_   
_glasses4lyfe: ur sarcasm is not appreciated in my time of crisis_   
_yatagarasu: look dude ur not theoly 1 who had a shitty day_   
_yatagarasu: just tell me what happened snd well figure this out_   
_glasses4lyfe: oh, sorry_   
_glasses4lyfe: if u had a bad day then u can just forget about it_   
_yatagarasu: LIKE HELL IF CAN JUST FORGET ABOUT IT_   
_yatagarasu: U ALREADU TOLD ME U NEED HELP SO LET ME HELP U DAMMTI_   
_glasses4lyfe: … uh, okay?_   
_yatagarasu: sorry_   
_yatagarasu: like i said shitty day_   
_yatagarasu: but not so shitty that i cant help u if u need me_   
_glasses4lyfe: thanks man_   
_glasses4lyfe: I really appreciate it_   
_yatagarasu: so u gonna tell me what happened_   
_glasses4lyfe: trainwreck guy_   
_glasses4lyfe: I did something stupid and pissed him off_   
_yatagarasu: oh no_   
_yatagarasu: im sure hell get over it_   
_glasses4lyfe: idk_   
_glasses4lyfe: he was pretty pissed_   
_glasses4lyfe: plus his one friend already texted me that I should probably stay away from him for a while if I don’t want to get punched in the face_   
_yatagarasu: yikes_   
_yatagarasu: what did u do that was so bad_   
_glasses4lyfe: remember how I told you the only person I found interesting at school was someone trainwreck guy hates?_   
_glasses4lyfe: well, he runs the student council_   
_glasses4lyfe: and I kinda announced I was gonna join the student council_   
_yatagarasu: nerd_   
_yatagarasu: tho i can kinda understand where hes coming from_   
_yatagarasu: the student council at my school is full of dicks_   
_yatagarasu: but its probs fidderent at ur school_   
_glasses4lyfe: well, in case that wasn’t bad enough, I kinda dissed trainwreck’s friend that he really looks up to_   
_yatagarasu: dick move man_   
_yatagarasu: as much as id love 2 take ur sice that is not coll_   
_glasses4lyfe: I know_   
_glasses4lyfe: I just hate how when that friend’s around, it’s like trainwreck guy can’t see anyone else_   
_yatagarasu: so u were jealous_   
_glasses4lyfe: … maybe_   
_glasses4lyfe: like, one of his other friends did say there’s nothing romantic between those two, but the way trainwreck guy acts… I’m not convinced_   
_glasses4lyfe: and since trainwreck guy is kinda the only reason I was hanging with that group, I guess I sorta snapped_   
_glasses4lyfe: I really fucked up, didn’t I?_   
_yatagarasu: u could apologice_   
_glasses4lyfe: there’s no way he’ll listen to an apology from me now_   
_yatagarasu: but if u sont try he wont know that ur sorry_   
_yatagarasu: even if he doesnt listen hell still know u were trying to apologize and that already counts_   
_glasses4lyfe: but even if he forgives me, I still joined the student council_   
_glasses4lyfe: I can’t just back out of that_   
_yatagarasu: well hell have 2 kearn 2 live with it_   
_yatagarasu: and if he cant hes a petty ass who doesnt deserve u_   
_glasses4lyfe: u make it seem so simple, but in reality, it’s probably gonna be a lot harder_   
_yatagarasu: but its a lot less scary when it seems simple right_   
_glasses4lyfe: … point_   
_glasses4lyfe: thanks_   
_glasses4lyfe: ..._   
_glasses4lyfe: if u want to talk about ur shitty day, I’ll be happy to lend an ear_   
_glasses4lyfe: since u helped me with my problems_   
_yatagarasu: its dumb_   
_yatagarasu: i just got into a fight with my crush and all my friends are taking her side and telling me im being stupid_   
_yatagarasu: and maybe they’re right_   
_yatagarasu: but it really hurt yknow_   
_yatagarasu: getting pushes aside like i sont even matter_   
_glasses4lyfe: I’m sorry u had to deal with that_   
_yatagarasu: yeah well it happened_   
_yatagarasu: anyway i should go_   
_yatagarasu: homework 2 do and all_   
_yatagarasu: my mom will flip if she dinfs out i was online before studying_   
_glasses4lyfe: good luck_

Misaki signed out and sighed. Hearing about a similar situation to his from his online friend just confirmed it: his friends were right and he was being unfair to Sacchan. And the prospect of homework just seemed worse after having Sacchan’s help the day before. Sure, it had been hard, but she’d been right about homework being more interesting when doing it with someone else. He supposed he could just ask the guys in his class who he was friends with, but they weren’t as patient with him being stupid and also didn’t live next door. 

The problem became that Misaki wasn’t sure how and when to apologize. Did he just text Sacchan and say he was sorry? But despite exchanging numbers, they’d never texted before, and he didn’t want to have their first text be something like “I’m sorry.” Plus what if Sacchan had deleted his contact information? Did he want to go over to Sacchan’s and apologize then? But if he went now his mom would get mad because homework, and if he went later it might be kinda rude. So did he wait until tomorrow? But since they’d fought what if Sacchan left for school early to avoid him, or got a ride or something? And at school, she could easily avoid him. And besides, was just saying “I’m sorry” enough? But what else should he say? 

What a disaster. 

And then, as if the universe were finally helping him out, just as Misaki was struggling his way through his first math problem, his mom came and knocked on his door. 

“Misaki, Sacchan’s here,” she said, having picked up on Misaki’s nickname for their new neighbor. The whole family had. Probably because they too realized that Saruhiko was just a godawful name for a girl. 

Misaki surged to his feet. Or rather, he tried to, but ended up banging his knees and falling back onto his backside with a howl of pain. As he nursed his freshly bruised joints, Sacchan entered his room and took her customary seat across from him. 

Misaki’s mom offered Sacchan a drink, which she turned down, and then left, leaving Misaki and Sacchan alone in an awkward and tense silence. 

“Um…” Misaki said, trying to find the words for an apology. 

“Look, I’m sorry,” Sacchan said, interrupting him. He blinked, shocked that she would beat him to the punch. “I said some harsh things today that were unfair, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” 

“No, I’m the one who should be apologizing,” Misaki said, jumping in as she took a breath to continue. This was all wrong. He was the one who had been unfair, not her. “I- When it comes to the student council, I suppose I’m a little biased. And unreasonable.” Unreasonable had been Anna’s word for it, and as much as he hated it, she was right. “I don’t think I’m wrong to hate them, but it’s not right for me to expect you to hate them when they haven’t done anything to you and may have even helped you out a bit the other day. And it’s your decision. And it’ll probably look good on college applications or stuff, I dunno. So I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you like that. S-sorry.” 

Sacchan looked just as shocked at Misaki’s apology as he had felt at hers. 

“So, friends?” she asked uncertainly after a long silence that had made Misaki want to squirm. 

“Yeah. Friends.” 

“Okay. Though I probably will be busier at lunch and break times from now on, so I won’t be able to hang out with you then.” 

“Yeah.” They both sat there for another long moment, and this time Misaki did actually start to wring his hands. 

“So, uh…” Sacchan began. 

“Hey Sacchan?” Misaki said, interrupting again. 

“Yeah?” 

“I, uh, I hope you make friends there. In the student council I mean. It’d- it’d be good if you had more people you got along with.” 

“Oh. Thanks,” Sacchan said, her voice oddly flat. “Anyway, let’s get busy on our homework. I haven’t actually started yet, so you’re probably way ahead…” 

“Not really.” 

Sacchan got out her homework, and they both got to work. Rather than Sacchan walking him through everything like the day before, they worked individually, only speaking when Misaki had a question about something he couldn’t figure out on his own. Which was almost every other homework problem, but who was counting? 

After about an hour, Sacchan was already done with her work, but Misaki still had about a third of his left. 

“Must be nice being smart,” he mumbled as he tried to remember what element was represented by Na. Wasn’t there like a navium? Or napalm? Or what about nabisco, was that an element? Ugh. 

“I guess,” Sacchan replied, looking over the answers on the assignments he’d already completed. “I’ve never really had anyone to compare myself to before now, so I never really noticed whether I was smart or not. This one’s wrong, by the way.” 

“Fffff-” Misaki said starting to swear but remembering at the last second what a bad idea that was. His mom had super-hearing that always picked up on foul language, and was adamant about him not teaching his younger siblings bad things. “Well, you’re smart compared to me at least. Then again, I’m such a dumbass that everyone is.” 

Whoops, he’d let one slip out. Hopefully his mom was distracted. 

“You’re not that dumb,” Sacchan replied, because that was the nice thing to say right then. 

“Yeah I am,” Misaki sighed. Time for a little bitter truth. “It’s still the first semester, but I’m already on the verge of failing this year.” 

“You won’t fail,” Sacchan said bluntly. “Because you’re not dumb. You just get mixed up easily. You just have to figure out how to keep facts straight, and I’m gonna help you do that. So less whining, more balancing equations.” 

Misaki grumbled, but he obediently got back to work, and even finished with almost an hour before dinner. He lay back as Sacchan checked over his homework, staring at the bumps on the ceiling in an unfocused way so that they began to look like indents instead. 

“Good job,” Sacchan said after a while. “It looks like you actually got it all right.” 

“Woohoo,” Misaki replied lifelessly, raising an arm towards the ceiling and letting it flop back down. “Just don’t ask me to do it again because I’ll probably mess up if I tried.” 

“No need to be so pessimistic,” Sacchan scolded. 

“No need to use big words when my brain is already about to explode,” Misaki retorted. 

“So what do you usually do when you’re not doing homework?” Sacchan asked, changing the subject. 

“If it’s before dinner, skate park. Sometimes I’ll watch TV with the little ones ‘cuz they like that. Though if you watch with Megumi she makes you sing along with the theme songs.” 

“Wait, so you know a bunch of songs from shows aimed at little girls?” 

“Yeah. I’m probably the only 16-year-old guy who knows every single ‘Love Doves’ song and can quote entire episodes of ‘Flower Fluff Girls’, and I’m not sure whether to be proud of myself for being a good brother or if I should just crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment for it.” Misaki propped himself up on one elbow and pointed accusingly at Sacchan. “And if you mention that to anyone, ever, I will haunt you forever, got it?” 

Sacchan didn’t quite laugh, but she had to cover a smile and her breathing got a little staccato for a few seconds. 

“Okay, Misaki,” she said, her voice suspiciously shaky. 

“I mean it!” 

“Yeah, I know.” Sacchan coughed, and when she spoke again, her voice was steadier. “Though I think it probably is something to be proud of, the way you look out for your little siblings. Does your brother make any demands when you watch TV with him too?” 

“Oh yeah,” Misaki admitted, lying back down. “Minoru likes to act out the shows as they happen, so if it’s an episode he knows well then he wants me to participate, and if not then he has me keep watching the screen for him and tell him what’s happening since sometimes he misses things. You wouldn’t believe the bruises I’ve gotten from watching TV with that kid…” 

Sacchan murmured something, and maybe it was Misaki’s ears deceiving him, but he might have thought it was the word “Cute”. She cleared her throat though, and then spoke at a normal volume as if it nothing had happened, so maybe Misaki was wrong. 

“So you said you also go to the skate park? What’s that like?” 

Misaki sat up suddenly, a grin already on his face. 

“Wanna see?” 

* * *

The skate park two blocks away from his house was Misaki’s home away from home. And sometimes, it even felt more like home than home itself. It wasn’t like his family was bad or anything, or like his parents loved him any less than his siblings, but Minoru and Megumi were young and cute and needed attention, and he was a teenager and a problem and was expected to be more independent. That was the thing about being the oldest- while everyone else got coddled you were expected to pick yourself up and dust yourself off every time you fell, and to take care of everyone else as well. And for the most part that was alright, but every now and then Misaki needed to take a break and have some time to himself for a bit, and the skate park was his favorite place to go at such times. Sometimes he’d go hang out with his friends, but he was trying to do that less frequently. He didn’t want to be a bother, and besides, he couldn’t rely on them forever. In less than a year, most of them would be graduating and heading off to jobs and college, and if he was dependent on them at that time, how would he manage? 

It was hard to set his pace slower than his norm for Sacchan’s sake. He always ran to the skate park, since it was his refuge, and today he was more excited to go there than ever. She was the girl he had a crush on, and he was about to show her his special place. But Sacchan really shouldn’t be running, even if it was only two blocks, so he forced himself down to a slightly brisk walk. It felt painstakingly slow and chafed at his nerves, but it would be worth it. 

They had crossed the street where Sacchan’s dad had almost hit Misaki and were rounding the corner of a building when Misaki gasped and leapt back, dragging Sacchan with him and pressing the two of them flush against the wall. He cautiously peered around the corner, checking to see if he’d been noticed. But no, the problem was already entering a convenience store. If they were quick, they shouldn’t run into him. 

“Whew, that was close,” Misaki breathed, and then noticed that when he pressed Sacchan against the wall, he’d ended up pressed chest to chest against her. Oh holy mother criminy popcorn that was awkward. What had he done? 

Misaki jumped back, sputtering out some semblance of an apology. He owed Sacchan better after what he’d just done, but words weren’t working right as his brain short circuited. 

“A-ba-buh-s-sorry, I- bwah- ahm-” 

“Is something going on?” Sacchan asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“That’s uh, that’s- ah- uh, black dog.” 

“I thought it was black cats that are bad luck, not black dogs.” 

“No, not like that,” Misaki said, finally reconnecting his brain and vocal chords. “The black dog. He’s a guy. A really annoying guy.” 

“Why’s he called the black dog?” 

“That’s, uhhh…” There were two ways to answer this question. One was the honest answer, that Black_Dog was his username on Color Kings. Except to explain that, Misaki would have to admit that he played Color Kings, and somehow, he just didn’t want to. There were people out there who looked down on games as dumb, and he didn’t want Sacchan to be one of those people and have her end up thinking he was a loser. The other answer was a little more complicated, but Misaki went with that. He just didn’t want to keep showing his crush only his bad sides, okay? 

“I don’t know, really,” Misaki lied. “I think it’s ‘cuz his name, Kuroh? Sounds like kuro, right? And then the one Kanji in his name has something to do with dogs, I think, so I guess that’s probably it. Also he has black hair and is super loyal like a dog. Like, I heard he got in trouble once because he kept trying to film his lessons on his PDA, because he wanted to be able to savor the lessons taught by his favorite teacher or something like that.” 

“Sounds like a weirdo,” Sacchan commented, as they resumed their journey. 

“Yeah he is. And a pain. He like, tries to tell everyone how to live their lives and stuff. I hate him.” 

“You seem to hate a lot of people.” 

“Yeah, well, I guess it’s kinda like…” Misaki trailed off, searching for words, and recalled something glasses4lyfe had said to him just the other day. “I guess I just feel like there’s not a whole lot of people worth knowing.” Misaki shifted his skateboard up a bit underneath his arm. “There’s a lot of annoying people, particularly at school. Aside from my friends, I don’t really give a damn about the rest of them. Like, they could all disappear and I wouldn’t even care. It’d be a lot nicer with everyone gone. No more homework, no more SDC, no more stupid rumors, none of that bullshit.” 

“So what do you think makes a person worth knowing?” Sacchan asked after a long pause. The question caught Misaki off guard. 

“Huh? Uhhh, I dunno. I guess like, people you can trust. People who will have your back no matter what. And are also fun to be with. Like, I guess the guys in the student council are pretty loyal to each other, and it’s kinda like my friends a bit, but they’re pretty much the opposite of fun to me. And it’s no good if someone’s a liar. Before, there were people who I thought were my friends, but they were just lying to me.” Oops. He’d gotten a bit too close to bringing up another side of him that wasn’t cool. He didn’t need to talk about that stuff. It was all in the past, and he was over it. “But they were pretty boring anyway, so who cares anymore,” he finished quickly. 

Sacchan didn’t respond right away again. She seemed like the type to take new information and stew it over a bit before doing anything with it. 

“A-anyway, what about you?” Misaki asked, half uncomfortable in the silence and half nervous about his almost slip-up. Had Sacchan noticed? Maybe not, but if he talked any more, he might say even worse so it was better to let her do the talking. 

“What you said sounds pretty good,” Sacchan replied thoughtfully. “Though I would also like the people around me to be reliable. People can be fun and honest and trustworthy but also be useless, and I don’t think I’d want useless people to be around.” 

Then why was Sacchan hanging around a moron like Misaki? He barely managed to choke the question down, so ready was it to spring from his tongue. 

In order to help swallow the question, Misaki opted to say something rather obvious instead. 

“Hey look, we’re here!” 

Perhaps it was his self-control caving in at the sight of his sanctuary, or maybe it was just him trying to evade further conversational embarrassment, but Misaki dropped his board to the ground and stepped onto it, hurtling over the last few meters to the park and whooshing over to one of the ramps. The adrenaline surged just like it always did, and for a few blissful minutes he forgot everything, even the presence of Sacchan. When the initial rush of exhilaration began to fade, Misaki almost fell over as he realized what he’d done. Sacchan would definitely hate him for this, for sure. He’d practically ditched her and had ignored her for who knew how long while he got his fix. She’d probably left already. 

Except no, there she was, leaning against a railing and watching him, the slightest smile on her face. It stunned him, so much so that he really did fall over, having skated into the side of a ramp. He pretended not to hear the laughter from the other skaters as he got to his feet. Sure, he’d just fallen on his face in front of them, but there were plenty of things he knew how to do on a skateboard that most of them couldn’t manage even in their dreams. He headed over to where Sacchan was, making sure to show off a bit just to remind everyone who the better skater here was. The only reason anyone should ever look down on him was because they were taller than him and so they had to look down to look him in the eye. 

“What time is it?” he asked as he pulled up next to Sacchan. 

“It’s 5:53,” Sacchan replied, her eyes drifting sideways to watch a passing car. 

“Shit, we’re gonna be late for dinner and my mom’s gonna be pissed at me.” Misaki kicked up his board and caught it, then hopped over the railing to join Sacchan on the other side. As they set off, he noticed her face was slightly flushed, and he kicked himself mentally. What was he doing, making her run around when she had poor health? Yeah, it wasn’t too hot today, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be overexerted. Ugh, no wonder people always told him to use his brain, what had he been thinking, bringing Sacchan here? 

“You okay?” he asked lowly. Somehow, Sacchan’s health seemed like a private thing, and he didn’t want to broadcast her circumstances with a loud voice. 

“Yeah, why?” Sacchan asked, glancing over at him in bewilderment. It was the first time he’d seen her puzzled by something. 

“Just… just checking. I don’t want you having problems ‘cuz of me. So like, you know, if you’re ever tired or anything, just tell me, okay?” 

“Misaki, I’m fine. Really.” 

“Don’t call me that,” Misaki hissed, looking around because he definitely didn’t want that getting heard. Yeah, they were about half a block from the skate park by this point, but it was still close enough that people there might get wind of his girly given name and give him crap for it. His stupid name could ruin his reputation if he wasn’t careful. 

“What? Misaki?” 

“Shhhhh!!!!” 

“Oh?” Sacchan got a concerning grin on her face. The kind that has lots of teeth and a certain glint in the eyes and speaks of sheer, mischievous evil. “My bad, Mi. Sa. Ki.” 

Misaki scowled and increased his pace with a mutter of “C’mon, we’re running late.” 

His ears were ringing with the taunt the whole way home. 

* * *

As always, Misaki walked him home. Saruhiko still wasn’t sure what to think of it, but he supposed he didn’t mind. It was also slightly reassuring today, since Misaki had seemed kinda mad at him for poking fun at him after the skate park. But seriously, just how hypocritical did you have to be to saddle someone with a nickname like Sacchan yet get all bent out of shape when that person uses your name? Maybe Misaki was a little feminine sounding, but it could also be a guy’s name. And it wasn’t like he’d made it girlier by adding -chan to it. But noooo, Misaki had to act like Saruhiko had insulted him or something. Saruhiko really shouldn’t have had a crush on someone like that. Shouldn’t, but did. 

Still, it wasn’t like Misaki didn’t have his good points. Like the way he would struggle through things he found difficult but knew he needed to do, like his homework or trying to accept that Saruhiko was joining the student council. The way he doggedly kept at it was admirable. And Misaki was pretty sweet, too. When he cared about someone, he really showed it. He was a little rough around the edges, but overall, a good guy. 

And then there was the way he skated. You didn’t have to be as gay as Saruhiko was to appreciate the way Misaki sailed through the air on his board, free and in his own element. It was practically flying, and a small part of Saruhiko had even been surprised that Misaki hadn’t sprouted wings and taken to the skies, so glorious he had been. 

Back in his room, Saruhiko went online, more out of habit than anything else. He’d learned over time that yatagarasu’s mom was rather strict, and tended to ban him from the computer for any rule-breaking. yatagarasu had admitted he was breaking rules earlier, so it was possible that he wouldn’t be back online for a week or so. So Saruhiko could chat with his other guild members (something he rarely did), or he could just run a dungeon or something and call it quits. But dungeons were never as fun without yatagarasu. Being social it was then. 

Saruhiko scanned the forums, looking for anything of interest. It was a lot of the same stuff as usual, though. SushiChef13 was complaining about his bad luck and inagoodway was comforting the former in an insensitive manner. PorkOnigiri!, LongDay, CursedMaskXD, and Tsukkomi were all planning their next raid together. All typical fare in Scepter 4. All ridiculously boring. 

Just when Saruhiko was about to give up, something caught his eye. He quickly expanded the forum and began reading up on what was going on. 

_ShingSparkleSparkle: For the thousandth time already, Reisi, will you please change your username?_   
_HaremKing: I don’t see what is so terrible about my username._   
_KotatsuSpells: Give up, Himori. He hasn’t caved before, he’s not going to cave now._   
_ShingSparkleSparkle: Seri, talk some sense into him, please!_   
_Anko_Love: His boyfriend created the account for him. He’ll never change that username._   
_Anko_Love: At least, not so long as they are going out…_   
_HaremKing: Who I date is hardly any of your concern._   
_Anko_Love: But Reisi, just think about your image!_   
_KotatasuSpells: His image is hardly affected when no one but you knows who his boyfriend is._   
_Anko_Love: And no one but me will know, it is that disastrous a match!_   
_KotatsuSpells: If you didn’t already have a girlfriend, I’d say you were jealous._   
_Anko_Love: Oh please. Yayoi is 1,000x cuter than Reisi is. I just think that the person he is dating lacks the proper dignity._   
_ShingSparkleSparkle: Speaking of things to ruin his image and which lack the proper dignity, “HaremKing” is hardly an appropriate username for the student council vice president!_   
_HaremKing: I see. So that is the issue here._   
_HaremKing: But worry not, for I am a third year and will only be allowed to hold this position until the elections in a few months._   
_HaremKing: Besides, don’t you think the “King” part of my username is rather appropriate?_   
_ShingSparkleSparkle: There’s just no winning with this guy…_

Well that was interesting. The information presented there indicated that HaremKing, guild leader of Scepter 4, was in fact Reisi Munakata, vice president of the very same student council Saruhiko had joined earlier. Furthermore, Anko_Love seemed to be Seri Awashima, the other active officer and Izumo’s childhood friend. And it seemed highly likely that ShingSparkleSparkle also went to their school as well. Saruhiko filed this information away for another time, wondering how it might be put to use. In the mean time… 

_yatagarasu: so did u decide what ur gonna so about trainwreskc guy?_

Saruhiko couldn’t stop the smile from blooming on his face. yatagarasu was online after all. 

_glasses4lyfe: yeah, actually I already went over and apologized_   
_yatagarasu: nice_   
_yatagarasu: howd that go_   
_glasses4lyfe: he ended up apologizing in return, and we hung out for a while_   
_glasses4lyfe: though I’m wondering if that was a mistake, because at this rate he’s definitely gonna find out I’m gay af_   
_yatagarasu: well whats wrong with that_   
_glasses4lyfe: even now, I’m still nervous about coming out to people. And maybe he’d be okay with in general, but what if he thinks I’m not in his league?_   
_glasses4lyfe: I mean the guy is cute, he skateboards like a fucking pro, and also he has multiple friends who r gay and good-looking_   
_glasses4lyfe: for their type, anyway_   
_yatagarasu: dam i kinsa want 2 meet him now_   
_yatagarasu: i need 3 make sure hes not a better skatebaordser than me_   
_yatagarasu: my pride is one the line here_   
_glasses4lyfe: ...r u trying to steal my crush from me?_   
_yatagarasu: nah_   
_yatagarasu: he cant be cuter than the girl i like_   
_glasses4lyfe: oh he defs is_   
_yatagarasu: w/e_   
_yatagarasu: but i doubt he thinks ur notin his league_   
_yatagarasu: u guys have been walking 2 school together right_   
_yatagarasu: and if his friend thought u have a chance then hes probs right_   
_glasses4lyfe: alright, maybe I’ll tell him. I’ll think about it_   
_yatagarasu: there u go!_   
_glasses4lyfe: thanks_   
_glasses4lyfe: also u seem in a better mood than earlier. Something good happen?_   
_yatagarasu: yeah actually I made up with my crush 2_   
_yatagarasu: tho i guess i also am still a little concerned_   
_glasses4lyfe: if ur worried about confessing, I would advise against a love letter_   
_glasses4lyfe: with ur spelling, there’s no way that could go well_   
_yatagarasu: hey i spell just fine irl!_   
_yatagarasu: and thets not even it_   
_yatagarasu: its just that i feel like im using her_   
_yatagarasu: like how shes helping me with homework_   
_yatagarasu: im pretty bas at school and so i really need her hepl_   
_yatagarasu: but like isnt that just taking afcantafe od her being smart?_   
_glasses4lyfe: I’m actually having a little trouble with that one. What’s afcantafe?_   
_yatagarasu: *adcantage_   
_yatagarasu: **advatage_   
_yatagarasu: fuck!_   
_glasses4lyfe: don’t hurt urself, I got it_   
_glasses4lyfe: and I don’t think so?_   
_glasses4lyfe: or at least, not if ur trying to do what you can on ur own?_   
_glasses4lyfe: if ur just making her do all the work for u or if ur only friends with her so she’ll help u, then yeah, ur a dick_   
_glasses4lyfe: but there’s nothing wrong with asking for help with something ur bad at from someone who excels at it_   
_glasses4lyfe: like, I offered to help trainwreck guy with his homework_   
_glasses4lyfe: and I’m totally okay with helping him, because the fact that I’m crushing on him aside, he’s my friend_   
_glasses4lyfe: I’m helping him because I want to_   
_glasses4lyfe: ur crush is probably the same_   
_glasses4lyfe: she sees u as a friend and wants to help u out_   
_yatagarasu: I still feel bad tho…_   
_glasses4lyfe: if it was the other way around, would u help her?_   
_yatagarasu: of course!_   
_glasses4lyfe: then don’t worry about it_   
_yatagarasu: easier said than done_   
_yatagarasu: anyway dungeon?_   
_glasses4lyfe: I thought ud never ask… ;)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scepter 4 username guide:  
> HaremKing- Reisi  
> Anko_Love- Seri  
> ShingSparkleSparkle- Himori (Akiyama)  
> KotatsuSpells- Yuujirou (Benzai)  
> SushiChef13- Ryuuhou (Kamou)  
> inagoodway- Andy (Doumyouji)  
> PorkOnigiri!- Tatsuya (Enomoto)  
> Tsukkomi- Daiichi (Fuse)  
> CursedMaskXD- Ren (Gotou)  
> LongDay- Akira (Hidaka)  
> glasses4lyfe- Saruhiko  
> In case you were wondering (you weren't), I do enjoy having these two be so clueless. While I was formatting this for posting, I kept snickering at these two idiots obliviously giving each other advice about each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for _even more_ misunderstandings? :D

This time, it was Saruhiko who wasn’t talking on their way to school. Part of it had to do with the fact that he hadn’t slept well the night before, but part of it had to do with the reason as to _why_ he hadn’t slept well the night before. The reason being yatagarasu had said that he really didn’t need to hide the fact that he was gay from Misaki. But what kind of timing was good to blurt out something he’d only ever admitted to two people, one of whom he only knew online? 

Luckily, Misaki was pretty accepting of his silence. He simply asked if Saruhiko wasn’t a morning person, and was willing to accept that Saruhiko was just kinda tired as an answer. Unfortunately, being Misaki, once he heard that Saruhiko was tired, he got all worried and offered to carry Saruhiko and okay, he’d admit that such an idea did actually appeal to him a little, and after last time he may have even devoted a bit of thought to various ways to be carried, but right now that would probably just lead to him doing something stupid like, oh yeah, admitting how very gay he was. 

But Misaki would surely be okay with it, right? He was a nice guy and all, and Izumo had said that Misaki himself was gay, hadn’t he? Or had he just said things in a way that made Saruhiko assume that because that’s what he wanted to hear and ohhhhhh shit that’s probably how it was, crap _crap CRAP_. 

So no carrying allowed. And Saruhiko wished his lips had a zipper like the teachers would pretend back in kindergarten when it was quiet time. Instead, he just tried to use humming as an answer whenever possible and let Misaki chatter as much as he wanted. Which was plenty, since Misaki seemed to be a nervous talker. Was he nervous because he knew Saruhiko was gay? Was his silence giving him away?!? 

All in all, it was a very nerve-wracking walk to school. 

Saruhiko didn’t relax until class started, but his reprieve didn’t last long, as their teacher announced they’d be doing a group project and that they should form groups of three or four. Many students groaned, and Saruhiko was tempted to join in. He wasn’t sure why everyone else disliked the prospect of a group project, but he was the new kid who hadn’t been around for even a week. How was he supposed to find people to be in a group with? 

“Hey Saruhiko, wanna work with me and Ren?” a guy asked, stopping at Saruhiko’s desk and leaning onto it. Saruhiko looked up to eye the guy. He looked vaguely familiar, but he had a rather generic pretty-boy face paired with an equally generic stylized bedhead type of hairdo. Behind him was another guy with a vaguely familiar pretty-boy face, this time partnered with longer hair and bangs pulled out of his eyes. 

“Uh, sure?” Saruhiko replied, because it wasn’t like anyone else was going to ask him. 

“Cool. Then if Take, Daichi, and Tatsuya form a group it all works out,” the other boy said, as if this would somehow make sense to Saruhiko. 

“Fantastic,” Saruhiko replied sarcastically. “Now could you get your hands off my desk?” 

“Oh sorry,” the guy said, jumping back slightly. “Anyway, why don’t we group our desks together so we can get started on the project?” 

“Sure, but before that, what was your name?” 

The guy looked shocked. His jaw hung open for a moment, and he stared before recovering. 

“I’m Akira, remember? Akira Hidaka? From the student council? We were introduced yesterday at lunch?” 

“Oh, really?” 

Like Saruhiko had actually paid attention when he was introduced to the other student council members. He could vaguely recall a couple of efficient guys who were definitely dating, and an over-energetic first year, but the rest were vague blurs in his memory. 

“Yeah. I’m the sports clubs coordinator, remember?” 

What the heck kind of a position was that? Whatever, Saruhiko didn’t care any more now than he did the first time it was mentioned. 

“Well at least you remember Ren, right?” Akira said weakly, pointing once again to the third member of their group. 

“Nope,” Saruhiko replied. 

“Ouch,” Akira said, flinching. 

“Well then why don’t I re-introduce myself,” Ren said, stepping forward and holding out a hand. “Ren Gotou. I am the interest clubs coordinator, as well as the president of the occult club.” 

“Is any of this relevant to our research project to design a perfect traffic system?” Saruhiko asked, ignoring the extended hand. 

“Well, no, but…” Ren stammered, exchanging a glance with Akira. 

“I see. Well, first of all, I think an ideal system would have to be multi-layered, and rely strongly on several hubs where people could change modes of transportation or switch to a different route,” Saruhiko said, ignoring the hurt looks on the faces of his group members. They seemed rather boring, so why should it bother him if they didn’t like him in the end? 

The first part of the morning stretched out for far too long. When the morning break came, Saruhiko was the first one out of the classroom, and was halfway to Misaki’s class before he remembered that a) he had yet to figure out how he was going to mention his sexuality to Misaki and b) he had student council duties to attend to now. He rerouted himself and wound up in the student council room where Reisi was waiting to explain to him what he needed to do. 

The explanation of what would be expected of Saruhiko took most of the break. As well as a secretary’s normal duties, he would be needed to help Reisi and Seri go through their backlog of paperwork, which included everything from comments left in the student council’s suggestion box to club budgets. On top of that, he would be expected to run errands for teachers if asked, and to join the student disciplinary committee and enforce the school rules. All in all, it sounded like a pain. Why had he agreed to do this again? 

Oh right. Because he didn’t like seeing Misaki fawn over Mikoto all the time. In hindsight, that was such a petty reason to sign up for something so bothersome. 

Eventually the break ended, and classes resumed until lunchtime when Saruhiko found himself back in the student council room, where all the student council members had come to eat lunch. Despite being the core members of the SDC, when grouped together this bunch was just as rowdy and maybe even louder than Misaki’s friend group was. Of course, there were more of them, but still… 

And of course, Akira and Ren had to go ahead and tell everyone how Saruhiko had forgotten them. 

“Seriously?” the over-energetic one gasped. “But aren’t you guys in the same class even?” 

“Given how unsociable he is towards all of us who are his classmates, I hardly think that makes a difference,” said a sour-faced guy with jaw-length hair that flipped out at the ends. “Honestly, I think your mistake was approaching him in the first place, Akira.” 

That was indeed the mistake Akira had made, but Saruhiko didn’t like hearing it stated so bluntly from someone like that. 

“Daichi, you’re being rude,” Seri chided. 

“My point is, he probably didn’t even bother to remember any of us,” Daichi argued back. 

“He probably just didn’t remember Akira because who cares about him?” the over-energetic guy said, flapping a hand. I bet Saruhiko remembers me, right?” 

“You’re the freshman class representative,” Saruhiko said, because technically that much was remembering the guy. 

“Okay, but what’s his name?” Daichi pressed, to the chiding of several of the others. 

“Like I know. Probably something like Uzai Bakatare. Though maybe such a name suits him a little too well.” 

Everyone in the room except for Reisi gasped as one at Saruhiko’s rudeness. He sighed and set aside his half-eaten bento, not interested in eating the rest of it. That was the bad thing about not eating lunch with Misaki: he was stuck with whatever store-bought bento his mother sent to school with him, even if he found half the ingredients to be inedible. 

“Look,” he said looking around the room and meeting each person’s eyes in turn. “I didn’t come here to make friends. I have a friend already. That’s good enough for me. I came here because I was asked to help out, and I don’t have anything better to do so I thought I’d do that. I can get my work done without being all buddy-buddy with everyone, so there’s no point wasting time figuring out everyone’s names, got it?” 

“Now now,” Reisi said into the relative silence that followed Saruhiko’s outburst. It was impossible to find true silence in a high school during lunch. “You do need to know who’s who at the very least, and fostering positive relations with everyone will make your work much easier to do.” There was a hint of chiding in his voice that made Saruhiko’s tongue click in annoyance. 

“Fine,” he muttered. 

“Good. Now, since Saruhiko seems to have forgotten who everyone is, why don’t you all reintroduce yourselves?” 

“If you find it difficult to remember, perhaps you should take notes,” Seri said with the kind of sweetness one only used when throwing shade at someone. She stood up and crossed the room to offer Saruhiko a notebook, which he reluctantly accepted. He could remember without taking notes, but he suspected doing so was the only way to appease everyone he’d just offended. 

As they went around, Saruhiko learned that the freshman class rep was called Andy Doumyouji. The junior class rep was the sour guy, and his name was Daichi Fuse. The senior class rep was Ryuhou Kamo, and he seemed to be a parental type judging by the way he got a napkin to wipe off Andy’s face when the latter got jam all over it. As well as Akira and Ren, there was one other club coordinator who worked with what the school referred to as “skill clubs”, Tatsuya Enomoto. Akira explained that skill clubs referred to any academic or arts clubs, such as the art club, drama club, orchestra club, light music club, and more. Meanwhile, interest clubs were more about things people found interesting, such as the occult club, the video games club, the robotics club, the cooking club, the manga club, and the music appreciation club. 

Also present were the cultural festival chair, Himori Akiyama, and his boyfriend, Yuujirou Benzai, who had chaired the sports festival. 

“I don’t really need to be here since the sports festival was two weeks ago,” Yuujirou admitted, “but Himori helped me with the sports festival, so I ought to help him with the cultural festival, and that’s coming up after the summer break.” 

“Is it that difficult to prepare for a sports festival?” Saruhiko asked. They’d never seemed like very big deals in the anime he’d watched. 

“Of course it is!” Yuujirou protested. “Parents come to the school grounds, so we have to prepare for that, plus there’s making sure we take all the necessary precautions against injury but are also ready in case someone does get hurt, plus there’s the captains poll to conduct, and-” 

“Captain’s polls?” Saruhiko asked, confused. This wasn’t something he’d heard of before. 

“Oh right, I forgot that our school’s way of doing the sports festival is a bit unusual,” Yuujirou said. “Allow me to explain. Every year, we divide the students into four teams for the sports festival. We start by asking everyone which third years they would most like to see as captains. The four seniors who get the most votes become captains, and then the students sign up for whichever captain’s team they want to be on. If they don’t know any of the captains, they can choose by color, or they can ask to be randomly assigned.” 

“By color?” 

“Each team has a color of course, chosen by the captain.” 

“Fascinating.” Saruhiko felt a little bad for his sarcasm, but he couldn’t help it. He was a sarcastic guy. To try and make up for it, he asked “so how did this year go?” 

“Well, the four teams were the white team, led by the president, the green team, led by Nagare Hisui, the red team, led by Mikoto Suoh, and the blue team, led by our very own vice president. We won, of course. There’s no way Reisi would ever lose to anybody.” 

“Though I do feel a bit bad about our victory…” Ryuhou sighed. “I mean, the way we overlooked all the green team’s underhanded tactics just feels a bit wrong.” 

“All is fair in war,” Seri said loftily. 

“Says the girl who nearly punched Yukari Mishakuji when he called your girlfriend ‘plain Jane’,” Ren said under his breath. Awashima still heard, judging by the way her mouth set. 

“What sort of underhanded tactics do you mean?” Saruhiko asked, curiosity slowly getting the better of him. 

“Oh, it was all pretty petty stuff,” Himori said dismissively. “And most of it was aimed at the red team. I think they thought that if they riled those hotheads up enough, they’d become problematic to the point where we’d have to intervene and thus their team would have the advantage. It didn’t work, of course.” 

“Well you have to admit it wasn’t a bad idea,” Yuujirou countered. “After all, our team and the red team were obviously the teams most likely to win, so it makes sense to try and weaken both our teams.” 

“But what sort of petty stuff?” Saruhiko pressed, growing worried. If Mikoto had been captain of the red team, Misaki definitely would have been on that team. And if the red team had been targeted by the green team, then Misaki might have had some trouble as well. 

“Mostly catcalls and disses,” Ren said. “Though they also tried to get someone to harass Mikoto’s step sister, Anna.” 

“No, that wasn’t the green team,” Daichi interrupted. “It was someone from the white team, acting independently. That’s why Shiro and Kuro and Neko were the ones who chased him off.” 

“Oh, I thought that was just because Neko and Anna are friends,” Ren replied. “Anyway, there were those, and little things like untying people’s shoelaces and stuff like that. The only other really memorable one was when they got Douhan to hug that loudmouth and he fainted.” 

“Oh man, that was hilarious!” Andy said, slapping the desk he was sitting at as he laughed. Saruhiko didn’t find it so funny though. “That loudmouth” was probably Misaki, and there was nothing funny about Misaki fainting. Not to him. As the others continued chatting, he slipped out his PDA and sent a text to Izumo. 

_SaruhikoFushimi: I just heard Misaki fainted at the sports festival? Was he okay?_

A painstaking minute later, he had a three-text reply. 

_IzumoKusanagi: oh yeah, that happened. A girl hugged him. He’s got this irrational fear of girls. If he gets to know them, he’s okay, but otherwise he panics if they get too close._  
_IzumoKusanagi: most of the time he just screams, but since Douhan hugged him he couldn’t escape and so he fainted._  
_IzumoKusanagi: he was fine tho. You can’t keep that idiot down for long._

So Misaki was afraid of girls. That must be rough. It wasn’t like you could avoid girls in everyday life. Even if Misaki had gone to an all-boys school, there were still girls on the train or on the street or at the mall. 

Though it was kind of a ridiculous fear, since it was the kind of thing you only ever saw in anime characters. 

It was strange enough that, on the way home, Saruhiko found himself asking Misaki about it directly. 

“So I heard you’re afraid of girls,” he said while looking up into the sky. His focus, paired with his tone, made it almost as if he were talking about the weather. 

Misaki shrugged his backpack higher up on his shoulders, shrinking in on himself slightly. 

“That’s… yeah. A-a little. Who told you?” 

“Well, Izumo was the one who explained about the fear itself, but I first heard about it during lunch when the student council was discussing the sports festival.” 

Misaki clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

“It’s really lame, isn’t it?” he asked the ground as it disappeared beneath his feet. 

“I suppose,” Saruhiko replied. “But there are worse things to be afraid of.” 

“Maybe, but being scared of girls is bad enough. People always laugh when they find out. And it’s part of what cost us the sports festival, so…” he trailed off bitterly. 

“It’s just a sports festival. You can always win next year,” Saruhiko consoled. 

“Yeah but next year Mikoto and Tatara and Izumo will all have graduated! This year was their last chance and we got third! And we would have been last if it weren’t for Anna! Except she thinks it’s her fault for not participating sooner, but when that delusional dude was harassing her, there’s no way she could have. Maybe if I hadn’t fainted, then…” 

“There’s no point in dwelling on what could have been, Misaki. Trust me. There have been so many times I started to think about what things would be like if I weren’t so weak, and it just makes me miserable. I can’t change that my immune system is weak. Just like you can’t change that you fainted. You could have still lost even if you hadn’t fainted, so it’s not worth crying about.” 

“I’m not crying!” Misaki yelped, and he wasn’t, but his eyes were red from the effort of holding back tears. 

“I know you’re not. I meant metaphorically crying. Besides, maybe they’ll have graduated, but won’t your friends come back to watch next year’s festival? And if you win then, won’t they be proud of you?” 

“I guess, but… Hey, maybe you’ll be one of the captains next year!” Misaki suddenly brightened up, stepping in front of Saruhiko and cutting him off to look him in the eye. “There’s always someone from the student council, so maybe this time will be you! And I’d definitely vote for you, and I could get the guys in my class and Anna too as well I bet.” 

“Except I can’t do sports, remember?” 

“So? Nagare Hisui is in a wheelchair so he can’t do any sports either, but he was captain of the green team this year. The captain doesn’t have to actually do anything. They just have to find participants for the different events, and maybe give a speech here or there or something. You’d probably look super cool doing it. Plus the other people who’ll probably be captains next year are annoying, and I’d rather be on your team than the black dog’s team.” 

“Huh,” Saruhiko said, and stepped around Misaki to continue walking. Misaki followed after him. “Who all do you think will be captains next year?” 

“Well everyone knows the black dog is gonna be a captain,” Misaki said, folding his arms behind his head as he walked. “His relationship with Shiro aside, he’s pretty popular. He’s good at everything and always trying to help people, and while he’s a huge dork some people think it’s cute. Then there’s Kukuri Yukizome, who’s also friends with Shiro and nice all around, and she’s okay for a girl except that she doesn’t quite understand the whole ‘scared of girls’ thing, so it’s a little problematic for me… And then I’d guess Douhan will probably be the other captain. She’s not really popular or anything, but since she hangs out with Nagare’s group sometimes she might get it. And I definitely can’t deal with her.” 

“If it’s about connections, then couldn’t you get it since you’re friends with Mikoto and he was a captain?” Saruhiko asked. The words left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

“No way,” Misaki said, lowering his arms and laughing. “I mean, being friends with Shiro is a big deal since he’s the chairman’s grandson, and same for Nagare since both of his dad’s teach here, but people just like Mikoto ‘cuz he’s cool. Plus a lot of people hate me almost as much as I hate them, and… and I might not even be a senior next year anyway, so I definitely won’t be a captain or anything.” 

Saruhiko studied Misaki’s profile a moment before replying. Misaki looked a little lonely right then. And just for a second, Saruhiko wished that all of Misaki’s friends, including Mikoto, would stick around a bit longer just to make sure Misaki knew he had people who cared about him. 

“Well I’m the new kid who doesn’t talk to people, so I’m hardly more likely to get it. But for what it’s worth, I think you’d look cool as a team captain too.” 

He was pleased to see that beautiful blush color Misaki’s skin. 

When they got to Misaki’s house, Misaki called out his usual greeting of “I’m home!” and his mom shouted her usual reply of “Welcome back!” only then she added on “Is Sacchan with you?” 

“Yeah, why?” Misaki yelled in the direction of his mom’s voice. A moment later his mom appeared. 

“There’s no need to shout, Misaki,” she chided, then looked over at Saruhiko. “Sacchan, your mom called a little bit ago. She said she and your father are both going to be out tonight and asked if you could stay with us. I said that if it was alright with you then we didn’t mind.” 

“Oh. Uh...,” Saruhiko said, not failing to notice the slightly alarmed look on Misaki’s face. Was that a good sign? Did it mean Misaki felt nervous having him over because he too was interested? Or maybe it was a bad sign? He didn’t know. “That’s fine with me, I guess.” 

“Great. I’ll go get out the spare futon. You’ll be alright sharing a room with Misaki, right? Only we don’t have any guest rooms since Megumi sort of surprised us, and we didn’t want to make the boys share since they’re eight years apart and all…” 

“Uh, that’s fine,” Saruhiko said. Like hell it was fine. Sharing a room with his crush? How was he supposed to sleep like that? 

For a second, Misaki looked like he was going to protest, but then his mouth snapped shut before opening again to ask “Will you need any help, ma?” 

“Huh?” Misaki’s mom replied, her mind clearly having gone elsewhere since she finished talking, or perhaps even while she was still talking. “Oh. No, you go get a snack for the two of you, and see if your siblings need anything. I’ll take care of the futon.” 

The evening proceeded with the normal routine from there. Misaki did his whole “big brother looks after everyone else” thing, and then he and Saruhiko did their homework. They did have to move to the living room while Misaki’s mom laid out the futon in his room, but otherwise it was the same old same old. After their homework they ate dinner, and then afterwards they helped Misaki’s mom with chores. She insisted Saruhiko didn’t need to help, but he felt bad if Misaki had to do chores and he just sat around. It was after that when things became different. 

Normally, Saruhiko would go home shortly after dinner. Not that anyone cared if he went home or not, but home was where his computer was and his computer was where he played games and talked with yatagarasu. Tonight, however, he merely went over to take a quick shower and grab a change of clothes and his toothbrush before returning to the Yata household. Misaki had already showered as well, and they ended up camping out in front of the TV and watching movies. It was all cartoons, since Megumi and Minoru wanted to watch too, but somehow it was still enjoyable despite the very obvious scientific inaccuracies of what was happening on the screen. After the kids went to bed, they stayed up and watched another movie, which Saruhiko hardly paid attention to because he’d already noticed earlier that it was far more interesting to watch Misaki’s face during movies. He was remarkably expressive; a scene that felt lukewarm at best to Saruhiko suddenly became heart-wrenching when he looked over at Misaki and saw tears running down the other boy’s face. 

After the second movie, the boys got ready for bed, but then sat up and talked for a bit. And that was where Saruhiko messed up. In the middle of discussing the coolest superpowers to have, he suddenly found himself saying “Hey Misaki?” 

“Yeah?” Misaki was sprawled on his bed, but he rolled over to look at Saruhiko when he heard the tone in his friend’s voice. 

“I, uh, I’m gay.” 

Misaki’s expression froze. And up until that moment, it hadn’t seemed like a mistake. After all, he’d received encouragement from both yatagarasu and Izumo. But the look on Misaki’s face was about three parts nervous, eight parts uncomfortable, and five hundred parts not-okay-with-this-information. Saruhiko had probably just ruined their friendship. Again. 

“O-oh,” Misaki stammered. “That’s um… nice. I guess.” 

“Er, yeah. I just… thought you should know. I guess.” 

“Okay, cool. I guess.” Misaki rolled over but then added “Hey, um, if you ever want help finding a date or anything, let me know. I’ve never been a wingman before, but, uh, I’ll try.” 

If there was anything worse that Misaki could have said right then, Saruhiko didn’t know what it was, because just like that, he felt his heart shattering into countless pieces. 

* * *

It was funny how a single statement could make Misaki feel like everything was hopeless. Just one sentence, and it completely screwed him over. 

His mom would probably say he was just being dramatic. 

But his mom wasn’t dealing with the revelation that her first love would never like her back. 

“I’m gay.” 

The words rang in his head, bouncing around and haunting him so that he couldn’t fall asleep that night. The girl he liked was gay. She liked girls. And for all that he’d been mistaken for a girl before, he was a guy. 

It had just about destroyed him to offer to help her look for a girlfriend sometime, but that was what friends did for each other, right? So what if he had an unrequited crush? That didn’t mean he had the right to wish his friend never found the happiness she deserved. It hurt, but it was the right thing to do, so he would try his best to set his feelings aside and support Sacchan as best he could. 

Worst of all, he could hardly cry it all out with Sacchan right there in the same room as him. 

Ugh, he could just about scream he was so mad at his mom for that. What was she thinking, putting a teenage guy and a teenage girl in the same room overnight? Sure, she didn’t know about his feelings for Sacchan, and sure, Sacchan had turned out to be gay, but who did that? Seriously, what the fuck, ma? 

The next morning came eventually, and by the time it arrived Misaki had made up his mind to head to the skate park as soon as he’d eaten breakfast. As soon as the sun was up he was out of bed and tip-toeing past Sacchan out of the room and getting himself a big bowl of cereal. He ate quickly, despite the fact that he preferred his cereal to be soggy, and then was out the door before anyone else stirred, with a quick note to anyone who might get concerned scribbled on a scrap of paper and left on the table. His mom might get mad at him for being a bad host, but he needed this. 

Misaki ran the whole way to the skate park. It would have been even faster on his board, but he didn’t want to wake people up with the sound of the wheels grating over the pavement. He wasn’t always the most considerate guy, but he was rarely rude on purpose. And even when he was, it was to people who deserved it, not to his neighbors who, even if they didn’t think much of him, adored his little sibs and so therefore deserved proper consideration. 

There was no one else in the park, and Misaki was glad. When it was like this, he could try stupid things as much as he wanted. He fell a few times, collecting some new scrapes and bruises and reopening the scabs on his knees from where he’d hit the wall earlier that week, but they weren’t anything serious. Besides, who cared if he got a bit banged up right now? He was as close to being at peace as he ever got, and it was nice. No grades, no Sacchan, no fears, no worries of any kind. Bliss. 

He was so focused on savoring the moment that he almost ran over Rikio. Of course, the jerk _had_ been standing right in the middle of the ramp he was on. Misaki grated to a stop and kicked up his board. 

“What the hell, fatty!” he snarled, angry at his momentary calm being disrupted. 

“I called out to you five times, Yata-san! How else was I supposed to get your attention?” 

“You weren’t.” Misaki started to turn away, but Rikio stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“I stopped by your place earlier and your mom said you’ve been out all morning and forgot you PDA. She was starting to get worried about you!” 

“Huh? I did?” Misaki said, patting himself down to try and find his PDA. Rikio pulled it out of his own back pocket and handed it over. Misaki checked the time and gasped. It was already 10:30, meaning he’d probably been at the park almost four hours. 

“Yata-san, are you okay?” Rikio asked, worried. And as much as Rikio annoyed Misaki at times, they were still friends, and Misaki needed a friend to spill to right then. 

“Not really,” he answered honestly. “Sacchan told me that she’s gay.” 

And that was all that needed to be said. The other night, when he’d first realized his crush, Rikio had been one of the ones he’d talked to, since Rikio was the only one of his closest friends who knew what it was like to have a crush on a girl. Sure, Yoh had dated a girl before, but he’d be the first to tell you that there was never anything serious between him and Maria and that they’d only dated because she was trying to get over a guy who had rejected her. And while Rikio did have a steady girlfriend of his own, he’d still had his share of heartbreaks and so he understood what Misaki was going through. 

“Call your mom so she’ll stop worrying about you, and then we’re gonna hit the arcade,” Rikio promised. “We can stop at the ramen stand on the way if you’re hungry, my treat. We’re gonna play until it doesn’t hurt anymore.” 

Misaki nodded. He was pretty sure that if they were going to keep playing until he felt better, then they’d die of exhaustion before they could stop, but at the same time, a few games might be nice. 

* * *

Saruhiko wasn’t sure how he’d managed to fall asleep, but he had. He woke up late, and stumbled out to the kitchen to find Misaki’s mom in a right state because he’d apparently run off to the skate park before anyone else was even awake. Saruhiko thought about offering to go fetch Misaki for her, but kept his mouth shut instead. He wasn’t ready to face Misaki. Misaki running away was just more evidence that Misaki was very much not okay with his gayness. It would probably be best to keep his distance from now on. 

Misaki’s mom made him breakfast, and after he ate he retreated back to his own house. As soon as he was safely in his room, he pulled out his PDA and texted Izumo. 

_SaruhikoFushimi: u were wrong_

He ended up browsing the internet while he waited for a reply. It was probably a mistake, since all his searches somehow ended up being relevant to Misaki. He had to stop himself from searching “what to do when your gay crush is homophobic” and he got halfway through a compilation of videos of people doing skateboarding tricks before he realized that he was only interested because of a certain red-headed skateboarder, and he also found himself looking up tutoring advice. He was starting to get really annoyed with himself when Izumo finally replied. 

_IzumoKusanagi: about what?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: I told him I’m gay_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: he freaked out on me_  
_IzumoKusanagi: are you sure that wasn’t just him freaking out because he actually has a chance with you?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: no, he was definitely uncomfortable_  
_IzumoKusanagi: that can’t be right. Maybe there was some miscommunication?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: what miscommunication? I told him “I’m gay”. How could I have been any more straightforward than that?_  
_IzumoKusanagi: idk, but I do at least know that you can never underestimate that guy’s capacity for misunderstandings_  
_IzumoKusanagi: he thought his first love letter was a letter of challenge_  
_IzumoKusanagi: I heard from his mom that in kindergarten he ended up dating a girl for three months before he realized what he’d agreed to_  
_IzumoKusanagi: apparently the girl got mad at him for giving his snack to another girl and broke up with him before he realized_  
_IzumoKusanagi: come to think of it, I wonder if that’s why hes so scared of girls_  
_IzumoKusanagi: and just recently, he was shocked by realizing something that I thought was completely obvious for a while now_  
_IzumoKusanagi: my point is, he can be really dense about the simplest things_  
_IzumoKusanagi: maybe he somehow thought you were telling him because you got a boyfriend_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: doubtful on that last_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: he offered to wingman for me if I ever wanted_  
_IzumoKusanagi: wtf_  
_IzumoKusanagi: I’ll see if I can find out what’s going on, because this really doesn’t make any sense_

To Saruhiko it made perfect sense. Misaki had rejected him. End of story, goodbye, see you never because my achy breaky heart can’t take it anymore. And when he still hadn’t gotten a reply by the time his parents returned just before dinner, it just seemed like proof that Izumo had overestimated his friend. 

Since it was his first time dining with his parents all week, Saruhiko had to endure all the usual parental questions. After dining in the Yata household all week, it was even more obvious how little his parents actually gave a damn. At Misaki’s house, when either of his parents asked one of their kids how their day had been, they listened to the answer. Misaki’s parents knew who their kids were friends with and kept track of all their petty squabbles, but Saruhiko’s parents were so uninterested in his life that they were already tuning out his answers before they even finished with their obligatory questions about how he liked school and how he was adjusting. But he knew well what his parents were like, and kept his answers as short and positive as possible to please them. The sooner they got this “family time” farce over with, the sooner he could go back to his computer. After talking with Izumo, he’d gone online, hoping to maybe get some comfort from yatagarasu, but the guy was absentee. It wasn’t unprecedented, but it made Saruhiko wonder if maybe he was getting rejected by everyone this weekend. How shitty was that? 

Sunday morning arrived, and Saruhiko moodily got up and ate a store-bought onigiri his mom had left out for breakfast. Afterwards he went back to his room and went straight to his computer. He automatically signed in, even though he didn’t want to see the lack of contact from yatagarasu that would increase his paranoid fear that his friend was sick of him. 

However, once he was logged in, Saruhiko saw two notifications, both from yatagarasu. The first was the usual chat notification, but the second… was a party request. 

It was a peculiar thing about Color Kings, one that left everyone scratching their heads, that even though players had their guilds, they could still create parties with people from other guilds. Saruhiko had once suggested partying up with yatagarasu, only to be viciously chewed out and then ignored for a week as a result. A small part of him wanted to be petty and do the same in return, but he was already clicking the accept button. He couldn’t stop the wave of relief that came as he saw the party menu appear, and when he opened it, he had to laugh at the name yatagarasu had given it: “CrowandBro”. Once again, his instinct for pettiness suggested he switch it to “BroandCrow”, or something else entirely, but he managed to curb the impulse. With that done, he opened up their chat. 

_yatagarasu: sorry haven’t been online_  
_yatagarasu: also its annoying having to seatch ur player id every time so i madea party_  
_yatagarasu: but u dont have to accept if u dont want 2_

Great jumping spiders, yatagarasu was so sweet. In the span of less than a minute, using a simple party invitation and three lines of text, he’d managed to drastically improve Saruhiko’s mood. 

_glasses4lyfe: thanks 4 the invite_  
_glasses4lyfe: searching ids really is a pain, ur right there_  
_glasses4lyfe: and no worries about not being online. I figured u must b busy_

Saruhiko was about to close the chat window when a new line of text appeared with a ding, causing him to jump. He hadn’t expected an immediate reply, but the fact that there was one brought a smile to his face. 

_yatagarasu: not really_  
_yatagarasu: i was hanging out with a friend_  
_glasses4lyfe: ur crush? ;)_  
_yatagarasu: no it was not girl who will never like me back_  
_glasses4lyfe: …_  
_glasses4lyfe: did something happen_  
_yatagarasu: i fund out shes gay_  
_yatagarasu: so there ges my chances right_  
_yatagarasu: lol_  
_glasses4lyfe: shit sorry 4 bringing up something so painful_  
_yatagarasu: its ok_  
_yatagarasu: i alerady spent all yesterday moping so i gotta cheer up sometime right_  
_glasses4lyfe: u don’t have to force urself 2 b happy when ur miserable_  
_glasses4lyfe: unrequited love hurts_  
_glasses4lyfe: trust me, I know_  
_glasses4lyfe: there’s no need to bottle it up_  
_glasses4lyfe: in fact, it’s better if u don’t_  
_yatagarasu: thanks_  
_yatagarasu: it just suck u know_  
_yatagarasu: like what can u say_  
_yatagarasu: hey i like u so can u stop being gay_  
_yatagarasu: thats 2 messed up_  
_yatagarasu: its just so selfish_  
_yatagarasu: and its not like its easy being gay or anything_  
_glasses4lyfe: amen 2 that_  
_yatagarasu: and i just dont know what im supposed to do rn_  
_yatagarasu: cuz even if she wont like me back shes still my friend_  
_yatagarasu: but at the same time it really hurts so im not sure how 2 face her_  
_glasses4lyfe: I wish I had some advice 4 u, but unfortunately, I’m kinda in the same boat as u and have no idea how 2 deal w/ it_  
_yatagarasu: oh no wtf did trainwreck do_  
_yatagarasu: do i need 2 beat him up 4 u_  
_glasses4lyfe: lol no, but thanks for offering_  
_glasses4lyfe: just… I told him I’m gay_  
_glasses4lyfe: and he… kinda freaked out on me_  
_yatagarasu: son of a bithc_  
_glasses4lyfe: so if u figure out a way to get over ur feelings, lmk cuz i could use it 2_  
_yatagarasu: how about this_  
_yatagarasu: ill b pissy at trainwreck 4 u and u b pissy at my crush 4 me and well b 2 angry 2 b sad_  
_glasses4lyfe: that sounds really unhealthy_  
_yatagarasu: w/e_  
_yatagarasu: it works doesnt it_  
_yatagarasu: im already feeling better being mad at traiwreck 4 u_  
_glasses4lyfe: thanks I guess?_  
_glasses4lyfe: but I’m still gonna try and think of something else if u don’t mind_  
_yatagarasu: yeah yeah_  
_yatagarasu: anyway g2g_  
_yatagarasu: i was out all day yesrteday w/o warning so my moms got a bunch of chores 4 me 2 do_

yatagarasu signed off, leaving Saruhiko alone. He followed suit, smiling to himself. Trust yatagarasu to make him feel better even when he was at the lowest he’d been in pretty much ever. He was lucky to have a friend like that. Not only had the guy managed to make him smile again, but he knew yatagarasu was genuinely angry on his behalf, and that seemed like the nicest thing right about then. If he and yatagarasu ever did meet up offline, he’d have to treat him to something as thanks. 

But he didn’t want to meet in person just yet, just in case things went badly. He still needed to have yatagarasu to lean on, and didn’t want to risk ruining what they had by meeting face to face and being horribly disappointed. Maybe after he’d gotten over Misaki, he could consider it, but for now, it wasn’t something he was up for. 

* * *

Sunday afternoon, Misaki found himself on the front porch of the old Henohenomohe place, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart as he rang the bell. Even if he tried to tell himself that maybe the ghosts would ignore him, there was also the fact that he was nervous about seeing Sacchan. But he needed to apologize for running off without saying anything yesterday, even if he had no clue what kind of explanation he should give. 

Luckily, it was Sacchan herself who opened the door. Misaki hadn’t seen Sacchan’s dad since that first encounter when he’d accidentally run out in front of their car, and he was a little afraid of how Sacchan’s dad might react to his presence at their house. As for Sacchan’s mom, Misaki didn’t want to have to deal with her politeness, especially since some of the things Sacchan had told him really had lowered his opinion of the woman. 

But also, it was Sacchan who opened the door. Sacchan who he had a crush on but who he needed to get over and he needed to apologize to and- damn this was a mess. 

“Oh, hey Misaki,” Sacchan said, glancing towards the interior of her house as if she were considering running. 

“Hey Sacchan,” Misaki replied, glancing back down the front walk as if he too were considering running. “Can I come in?” 

Sacchan hesitated, but then stepped aside so he could pass. He kicked off his shoes and then followed her through the house to her room, a lonely little upstairs bedroom that was devoid of pretty much any kind of personality. There was a nice computer setup at the desk, but other than that, there was nothing to see. No shelves full of manga or old toys or pictures or posters or anything. It was so plain. 

“So-” Sacchan began. 

“I just wanted to-” Misaki began at the same time. 

They both stopped in their verbal tracks. 

“Uh, sorry, what were you saying?” Misaki asked. 

“Er, I was just going to ask what brought you here?” Sacchan said. “But what were you gonna say?” 

“Oh. That’s actually kinda what I was saying. I uh, I wanted to apologize. Since you stayed over and all but then I just kinda disappeared and didn’t say goodbye or anything. I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m sorry.” 

Sacchan sighed, and looked at the floor in disinterest. 

“It’s okay,” she mumbled. “It’s not something you really need to apologize for.” 

“Yes it is!” Misaki argued. “You shouldn’t just abandon your guests! My mom taught me better than that, really!” 

“Except I wasn’t a guest, I was someone who was forced on you guys because my parents don’t like me,” Sacchan retorted bitterly, her expression morphing into a scowl. 

“Except you’re my friend, and I like you even if your parents don’t, so I won’t ever see it as you being forced on us, got it?” 

Oh shit. That had practically been a confession. And just after Sacchan had told him she was gay! Misaki was absolute scum now, wasn’t he? How would he ever atone for this? 

Except Sacchan’s expression had softened, and she was now staring at him with wide eyes and looked… happy? Sad? Touched? Seriously, what the hell was that look for? 

“Thanks,” she said after a moment, looking away with a small smile. What was she even thanking him for? This was so weird. 

“Um, since you’re here, do you want to play some video games or something?” Sacchan asked, a hopeful look on her face. 

“Yeah, that’d be-!” Misaki started off excitedly, but then he remembered that he’d only gotten permission to come over here on the pretext of dropping off something Sacchan had forgotten. Not that she’d forgotten anything. But she hadn’t wasted time apologizing to him before, so he owed her the same, right? “Uh, actually, I can’t. I mean I’d love to, but if I’m not back in like, thirty seconds, my mom’s gonna go ballistic. Maybe next time? If that’s okay with you, I mean.” 

Sacchan looked disappointed, but she still smiled as she said, “Yeah, next time.” 

“Sorry for not being able to stay. And for yesterday. And just- yeah. Sorry I’m such a shitty friend.” 

“You’re not a shitty friend, Misaki,” Sacchan said. “If you were, then you wouldn’t have so many friends.” 

“Except I’ve been kinda a shitty friend to you. I mean, we’ve been friends for less than a week, and already we’ve gotten into how many fights? And most of them are my fault too.” 

“Yeah, you can be a bit of a jerk at times,” Sacchan said bluntly. Ouch. “But that’s partly because you tend to act first and think later. And when you do take the time to think about things, you realize your mistakes and do your best to make up for it. It would be better if you learned to think first, but I think as you are is already okay. People make mistakes no matter what, and to me, it’s better to make more mistakes and own up to them than to make very few mistakes and then deny them or run from them. I like the you who faces your mistakes head on, Misaki.” 

Misaki blushed. He knew when Sacchan said she liked that side of him, she just meant that it was likeable, not that she like-liked him for it, but he still felt his heart flutter just a bit at her words. Maybe it was a good thing he had to get back home. 

“S-still,” he mumbled, his voice threatening to crack, “I’ll try and do better. You deserve that much, Sacchan. But um, like I said, I do need to go. At this rate, my mom might come looking for me.” 

“Right. I’ll see you out then,” Sacchan said, and led the way back to her front door. Misaki wasn’t sure what to think when she put her shoes on as well, or walked out the door with him and stayed with him on the way back to his house. 

“By the way,” Misaki said, because the silence as they walked that short distance was becoming suffocating, “that thing you said before, about your parents? Um, well, if being at home isn’t good, you can always come over and stay with us. If you’re around too much, my mom might make you help out around the house and stuff, but I don’t think anyone minds you being around. I mean, my dad said the other day how it’s nice that I finally have a decent friend to be a good influence on me and all, and my mom was really worried when you didn’t come home with me the other day, and like, it should be okay if you hang out a bunch. Just- just so you know.” 

“You really are a sweet guy,” Sacchan said, so quietly Misaki wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “Anyway,” she added as they reached his front door, “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” 

“Yup,” Misaki replied brightly. “Someone’s gotta make sure you wake up and are energetic enough to get through the day!” This because Izumo had once joked that seeing Misaki in the morning was like a dose of the strongest caffeine, since “his overflowing energy didn’t allow others to be sleepy”. Of course, others generally said that he was too energetic in the mornings, to the point of being obnoxious. Misaki liked Izumo’s way of saying it better. 

Sacchan responded with a look. One of those looks that is mildly disgusted and resigned and maybe just a little bit amused. 

“If you say so,” she said, and turned to go, leaving Misaki to brave the return into his house alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not fluent in Japanese or anything, but from my limited knowledge of the language, "uzai" is a rude way of saying annoying, and "bakatare" is roughly equivalent to "dumbass".  
> You may have noticed Takeru is also in Fushimi's class. He used to play Color Kings (username HolyGround) but he deleted is account because he got hacked.  
> As for the guy harassing Anna at the sports festival, it was the "prince" from "Days of Blue".


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta did a lot of reading the other day so here's another chapter! Hooray! Though it is a bit shorter...

Monday dawned gray and miserable, with strong evidence that a late spring downpour was on its way. It was perfect weather for a Monday. 

As Misaki left the house, he hoped Sacchan would bring her own umbrella. Yes, it was a pretty obvious thing to do in this kind of weather, but somehow he could see Sacchan’s parents not bothering to get her an umbrella of her own or something like that. And yes, he’d gladly share his umbrella if necessary, but it didn’t seem right when he still couldn’t say he meant nothing more than friendship by it, and also if any of his friends saw them then he’d be treated to teases of “Misaki and Sacchan, sitting in a tree…” for the next nine days. And that would be just too uncomfortable, for both him and Sacchan. 

Thankfully, she did have her own umbrella, a giant thing that seemed like it could cover an entire city block if it was opened. It seemed like the kind of umbrella you would murder somebody with. And okay, maybe Misaki only thought that was because the one guild’s leader in Color Kings fought with an umbrella. Still, if you watched that “Himmelreich” guy use an umbrella like a badass, you might start to look at umbrellas differently too. 

Because of the weather, everyone was sleepy. Misaki hated days like this the most, because it seemed to have the opposite effect on him. Most of the time he was barely awake in class, trying to take notes and pay attention but slowly being lulled by the endless stream of words coming from the teacher’s mouth. But on days like this, where even the teachers were sleepy, he always seemed to be wide awake and alert, which made class pass all the slower. Today in particular he felt like he could hear every individual raindrop hitting the ground, time seemed to have slowed that much. 

As soon as the break started, Misaki was off like a rocket. He’d probably get in trouble since he hadn’t waited for the teacher to close off the lesson, but at the rate he was speaking they might have had to wait all week for that. On rainy days like today, he and his friends went to their base, an empty club room that Mikoto had gotten the key for and which Tatara had slowly filled with accumulated oddities, like a peculiar clay sculpture from someone in the art club and an assortment of masks from festivals and such. There was enough of Tatara’s stuff that they might have to acquire a second club room soon. It wouldn’t be a problem though, since the chairman of the school encouraged clubs and as such had had far more club rooms built than could ever be filled. Most of the empty ones were just used for storage, which was pretty lame. 

Only when Misaki arrived at the base, there was an unfamiliar padlock on the door. He stared at it, wondering why it was there. None of their group would have put it there surely. They never even locked it because no one would dare cross Mikoto, so why would there be an additional lock there? 

“Hey Yatachan!” Tatara greeted warmly, and Misaki looked up to see Izumo, Rikio, Mikoto, and Tatara all coming toward him. 

“Why are you just standing there?” Izumo asked. 

“Someone put a lock on the door,” Misaki said, stepping back and gesturing to the lock. 

“What?” Rikio gasped. “But why-” 

“Move,” Mikoto said, and even before they’d all jumped out of the way he was turning and kicking at the lock, breaking it and the door. 

“You know we’re gonna have to fix that ourselves,” Izumo sighed. Mikoto grunted in response. 

Normally Misaki might have been awed, because he wished he could do cool things like kick a lock to smithereens, but right now he was too busy gaping at the sight of the empty base. As in, everything was gone. All of the things Tatara had collected, all of the cushions they’d set up for comfort, all of the snacks Rikio had stored in there, all of it was gone. 

“Well, it would seem we’ve been kicked out,” Izumo said calmly after a long moment of shocked silence from them all. “I suppose it was going to happen eventually, since we weren’t an official club or anything.” 

“But they can’t just-!” Misaki protested. 

“We didn’t really have permission to use this room,” Izumo said, looking him dead in the eye. “It’s honestly more surprising that this didn’t happen sooner.” 

“But-!” 

“Let’s go,” Mikoto said before Misaki could argue any further. 

“Where to, King?” Tatara asked. 

“To see an annoying shitstain,” Mikoto answered with a feral grin. 

Misaki felt his heart sink. That description could only mean Reisi Munakata, who was no doubt in the student council room. The student council room where Sacchan probably was as well. He didn’t want to see Sacchan getting along with those people, but more than that, he didn’t want to be a bother to her. 

“B-but what’s that going to accomplish?” he asked nervously, trying to think of a way to avoid the worst-case scenario. 

“Use your brain for once,” Izumo said. “If we go to the student council, we can put something in the suggestion box about opening up unused clubrooms for student use. We could also fill out a club application form to prevent this from happening again. And of course, if we decide that with nowhere else to go we might as well hang out outside the student council room, that might convince them to reconsider kicking us out of our base.” 

“O-oh,” Misaki said, because how was he supposed to argue with that? It was so logical and rational, and Misaki had never been good at making arguments. He was more of a "shout louder than them and if that doesn’t work hit them" kind of arguer, and Izumo would just hit him back if he tried that. 

Resigned, he followed after the others as they headed to storm the student council. 

* * *

Saruhiko probably hated the school nurse now. Class had barely begun when Misaki’s friend Anna came in with a blanket and a note from the school nurse reminding him to stay warm and dry during the rainy weather. And since it had happened in front of his entire class, now he couldn’t get away with leaving the blanket somewhere. By the morning break, he’d already had several concerned classmates ask if he was warm enough, he’d tried several times to ditch the blanket because it was too hot only to have someone make a huge fuss about him not having it draped over his shoulders, and he’d had to endure a well-meaning Akira coming over and tucking the blanket around him so as to “maximize snuggly warmth” which, what the actual fuck, Akira. 

So Saruhiko really wasn’t in the mood for Mikoto Suoh and his cronies to waltz into the student council room during the morning break and make a scene. 

What happened was this: Saruhiko was just getting settled at a desk when the door was aggressively rolled open, sliding violently across the track with just enough force to make a loud noise when it reached the other end, but not quite enough force to make it bounce back on the person who’d flung it open. In walked Mikoto, flanked by Izumo and Tatara and followed by Rikio and a nervous-looking Misaki. They headed straight for Reisi’s desk, and Mikoto planted himself in front of it, looming over Reisi menacingly. The entire room was cowed, but Reisi didn’t even bat an eye. 

“Oi you slimy bastard,” Mikoto greeted. “What the fuck?” 

“Oh my,” Reisi said, not even looking up. “It seems the most unpleasant person I have the misfortune of being acquainted with is here. What can I do for you, Suoh?” 

“You can explain why the hell you’re locking up club rooms, Munakata,” Mikoto spat back. 

“I cannot claim responsibility for that one,” Reisi replied, still cool as a cucumber. “It seems some of the teachers decided that on their own. However, I will point out that according to the student handbook-” 

“Ah-h, why do you always go on and on? Stuff the student handbook, I really don’t care.” 

“Obviously. Our school is quite flexible with uniform rules, and yet you still manage to disobey dress code. Now if you’re just going to whine, then please leave. I have other things to do besides entertain you.” 

“Actually, we were hoping to pick up a club application form,” Izumo said, stepping up next to Mikoto. 

“Skill, sport, or interest?” Reisi asked. 

“Hmmm, I think it’d have to be interest,” Izumo said. “Unless fighting amongst ourselves can be considered a sport.” 

“Ren is in charge of interest clubs. He should have the forms you’ll need,” Reisi said. 

“Thanks,” Izumo said, and walked over to collect the forms Ren was already producing. The five of them left the room, and Saruhiko was just thinking he could breathe again when he heard Tatara’s voice say loudly from the hallway “Since we’ve got nowhere else to go, how about a game of Rich Man Poor Man.” 

Saruhiko had never heard such a loud card game. Never. Despite Misaki’s reputation for being a loudmouth, he was actually the quietest one, at least at first. It wasn’t long before he too was arguing with Rikio over a card that had been played. 

For some reason, Reisi seemed amused by the whole thing. He was the only one though. 

“Reisi, shouldn’t we do something about them?” Seri asked after a while. “They’re going to be a bother to the other students like that.” 

“Let them have their fun,” Reisi replied. “Besides, we need to show them that laying siege to our home will not convince us to meet their demands any faster.” 

Saruhiko was beginning to wonder if he’d misplaced his respect in this guy. 

At lunch, things were even worse. There were more of them- Anna, those four guys from Misaki’s class, and another two guys who wore the ties of third years had also joined in on the invasion. Saruhiko tried to tune them out. He _tried_. But they were just so loud and every time he thought he might actually be able to ignore them Misaki’s voice would pierce through his concentration, and just- he couldn’t do it. Enough was enough. He stood and went over to Reisi’s desk. Reisi who didn’t seem the least bit concerned with all the noise outside. 

“Perhaps it doesn’t bother you, _HaremKing_ , but the rest of us can’t focus with such a ruckus outside. If you won’t do something about it, I will.” He had the pleasure of seeing Reisi look surprised for a moment. The surprise faded almost immediately though, and Saruhiko stormed off to go bitch at Mikoto and his cohort. 

“Will you shut the fuck up already!” Saruhiko exploded as soon as he’d opened the door to the student council classroom. He froze in the doorway, puzzled by the scene in front of him. Mikoto and his friends were scattered in a cluster that blocked the hallways, all standing in odd poses. They stood frozen and unmoving, though following Saruhiko’s outburst, they all craned their necks to fix their gazes on him in surprise. And they weren’t the only ones. 

Almost everyone in the hall had turned to stare at him. In the room behind him, he could feel the eyes of the other student council members on his back. Silence reigned, with even the downpour outside seeming to go quiet, and it seemed like the world had stopped turning and gone still. Only one person moved- one of the guys from Misaki’s class, who gaped along with the others for a moment before lunging and swinging at Tatara’s hand and slapping it. 

“Oh, looks like I’m out,” Tatara said, breaking the silence, and then suddenly the world was back in motion, with people farther down the hall resuming their chatter and the birds outside beginning to chirp again and the noise of the rain outside resuming. 

“Hey Kousuke, that’s cheating!” Misaki yelled, pointing at the guy who’d moved. 

“Yatachan, you can’t move!” Rikio argued as he maintained an alarming pose. He was bent over backward with one leg in the air for balance, with Mikoto looming over him. To make things even weirder, his face was quite close to the backside of one of the third years Saruhiko didn’t know. “It’s not your turn yet!” 

“But he- I mean- but-” Misaki protested. 

“No buts. Moving out of turn means you lose a hand,” the guy with the hexagon glasses said gleefully. Misaki grumbled but moved his left hand to the small of his back and resumed the stance he’d been in when Saruhiko shouted. 

Saruhiko may have lost the attention of almost everyone else already, but he could still feel the student council members watching him. Without turning, he shut the door behind himself and then strode forward into the midst of the group. And as much as he hated to do it, he knew there was one person among them all who he had to address to get through to the rest of them. 

“You’re too loud,” he said irritably to Mikoto. 

“Aw, c’mon,” Tatara said, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Saruhiko’s shoulders. “We’re just having some fun. You’d be welcome to join us for the next round, Sacchan. We’re playing ninja.” 

“Oh, so this is Sacchan?” one of the third year guys said from where he was standing next to a wall and observing the rest. He too came over to where Saruhiko was and peered at him. It was more than a little uncomfortable, and Saruhiko made sure to glare back as fiercely as he could just to let this guy know he did not appreciate the attention. 

“Hey, fuck off, Yoh!” Misaki shouted, and then lunged backwards to avoid an attack made by the baseball hat guy, and then swung his arm again to avoid a subsequent attack by Hexagon. 

“Dammit, I thought for sure we’d get him if we double-teamed him,” Hexagon muttered. 

“Sanchan, do you want to die that badly?” Misaki asked, and if it were an anime Saruhiko was sure a threatening aura would rise from him. Black or purple-y, or maybe red. 

“I don’t care what game you are playing, you are too loud. It’s fucking annoying,” Saruhiko snapped, shrugging Tatara off. Tatara seemed unperturbed and retreated back to the sidelines. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Mikoto apologized with a complete lack of sincerity. “But unfortunately, we don’t currently have anywhere else to go.” 

Saruhiko had a few places to suggest they go to. Starting with “where the Sun don’t shine” and ending with “Hell”. 

“Your location isn’t the problem here,” Saruhiko argued. “Your noise level is. You’re in high school already. Stop screaming like a bunch of toddlers who don’t know any better!” 

At least five people opened their mouths to argue or make snarky comments, but Misaki beat them to it. 

“Er, sorry Sacchan. We’ll try to be quieter now. We didn’t mean to bother you.” Misaki sounded subdued, and for a second, Saruhiko actually felt guilty about getting so angry at them and yelling. Misaki looked around at his friends and added in a pleading voice, “R-right guys?” 

“Of course,” said Anna from where she was balanced on one leg in some sort of martial-arts like pose. “If even Misaki is saying he’ll try to be quiet, then we’re definitely too loud.” 

“Hey!” Misaki shouted, then turned pale before continuing in a loud whisper, “What the hell’s that supposed to mean, Anna?” 

“She means you’re the loudest one,” the foreign guy said taking his turn and attacking the other unknown third year. 

“Shut up Eric,” Misaki snapped, still in a stage whisper. It was ridiculous how hard he was trying. Ridiculously cute, that is. Saruhiko felt his heart ache anew at Friday night’s rejection. 

As he stepped out of the circle, Izumo waved him over to where he was spectating on the sidelines along with Tatara. Saruhiko didn’t like the idea of being at Izumo’s beck and call, but he supposed he did owe the guy a bit, so he went over. 

“First off, thank you for that,” Izumo said. “They were going to give me a headache at the rate they were going. If you can get them to stop playing ninja too, that would be great. The way they play, friendships will be ruined for at least a month over this.” 

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, it’ll all work out,” Tatara said from next to him. “Besides, no matter what they play it’ll be like that.” 

“The annoying part is I can’t even deny that,” Izumo sighed. “But anyway, the other thing I wanted was to ask you to give something to Seri-chan for me.” 

“I’m not your errand boy,” Saruhiko replied. 

“I know, but it’s something I’ve always done secretly and right now secrecy is impossible and you’re the only person I can ask.” 

“I don’t mind going into the student council room,” Tatara said. 

“Yes but knowing you you’d probably fall and smoosh them or get hungry and eat them on the way or give them to someone else,” Izumo said drily. Tatara didn’t seem the least bit offended. “I’m not entrusting Seri-chan’s lunch to someone as unreliable as you.” 

“So mean,” Tatara laughed easily. 

“Why do you have her lunch?” Saruhiko asked. 

“There’s a certain supermarket near here that has bean buns that she really likes because the bread is also bean-flavored, but they don’t open until after school starts so Seri-chan can’t go get them without breaking school rules. So I sneak off during free periods to get them for her and she doesn’t report me and even lets me borrow her notes and we call it a fair trade.” 

“Did you say bean buns in bean-flavored bread?” Saruhiko asked, horrified. 

“Yeah, I know,” Izumo agreed. “She likes bean-paste and bean-flavored things a little too much. But I guess everyone’s got to have their faults. It could be worse. Her girlfriend once made her lunch and made some lovely bean buns that she slathered in mayonnaise.” 

Saruhiko shuddered. 

“Fine, I’ll take the buns,” he reluctantly agreed. 

“Thanks. I knew I could count on you,” Izumo said with a smile. He grabbed a plastic bag that was by his feet and handed it over. It looked just like a plastic bag someone might get if they bought a lot of items at the school canteen. 

Saruhiko turned and walked back into the student council room. He tried to ignore the awed stares the other guys were giving him, and instead walked over to Seri’s desk. 

“Someone stopped me while I was out there and said you forgot this,” he said, handing over the bag. It was almost the truth. She nodded her thanks and he went back to his desk, ready to enjoy the quiet for as long as it lasted. Unfortunately for him, while their volume was lower, the other student council members whispering about what had just transpired managed to seem just as loud and distracting as Mikoto’s little group. 

Sometimes it really seemed like Saruhiko simply could not win. 

* * *

The moment the door to the student council room closed behind Sacchan, everyone abandoned the game of ninja to flock to Misaki. 

“What the hell was that?” Saburouta complained. “Since when have we ever caved to the student council on anything?” 

“Oh hush up, Sanchan,” Eric said, because while he could be merciless in his teasing he would back up any of his friends 100%, even against his other friends. “If it were Shouhei telling you to do something, you’d definitely obey, and Sacchan is Yatachan’s Shouhei.” 

Why did Eric have to say that? Like, sure, it wasn’t all that far from accurate, but… 

“Man, I don’t think I thought I’d ever see the day our little Yatachan fell for someone, but here it is, and boy does he have it bad,” Yoh teased. 

“Shut up Yoh, no one likes you or thinks you’re funny,” Masaomi snapped. 

“Are you two fighting again?” Shouhei asked worriedly. 

“Or still?” Kousuke asked in exasperation. 

“Or at all?” Rikio asked. “I honestly can’t tell when you two are fighting and when you aren’t. You act the same.” 

Yes, this was a good vein of conversation. Go ahead and steer into Yoh and Masaomi’s rocky dating life and away from Misaki’s unrequited feelings and everything would be all well and good. Please. 

“But I thought they were still fighting with each other over that thing from the sports festival,” Kousuke persisted. “Y’know, where Yoh ended up pairing up with Maria for the three-legged race while Masaomi was in the bathroom and then Masaomi got mad and said that if Yuu liked her so much he should just get back together with her and-” 

“Okay, Kousuke, we get it already!” both Yoh and Masaomi snapped in unison. 

“Well, talking about that’s likely to lead to disaster, so let’s get back to the fact that this guy just shushed us all in order to impress his crush,” Saburouta said. 

Goddamnit Sanchan. Why did you have to go and remind everyone. Just when Misaki had thought he was safe… 

“Yes, let’s,” Masaomi said angrily. 

“So, Yatachan, tell us,” Yoh said, draping an arm around the closest person (fortunately the closest person was Tatara, who wouldn’t mind and who didn’t have a boyfriend who would mind either) and leaning forward with an evil grin, “what are your plans? Are you going to ask the fair Sacchan out?” 

Rikio paled and made a slashing noise across his throat, trying belatedly to tell Yoh that this was a sensitive subject. Too late. Those who noticed Rikio’s panic turned to bore into Misaki with their eyes, trying to judge if he was likely to get angry and do something stupid. But to be angry took energy that Misaki suddenly didn’t have. The very idea of trying to explain what had happened just made him feel drained and tired, and empty. 

“That’s…” he began, then sighed. “It’s not like that, okay? Sacchan’s… My feelings aren’t ever going to be returned. I’m just… I’m not Sacchan’s type. So- so I guess you could say I’ve already been rejected, and…” Misaki tried to laugh, make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal and like his heart hadn’t been ripped out, but he didn’t sound convincing even to himself. 

“Oh shit,” Yoh whispered, all too aware that he’d just messed up. But it wasn’t really his fault. There was no way he could have known. 

“Seems like we’ve got an emergency,” Mikoto said. “Where’s his skateboard?” 

“I don’t think he brought it today,” Eric answered. 

“Besides, it’s still raining pretty heavily,” Kousuke pointed out. 

“Since when does he not bring his skateboard?” Rikio asked. 

“Since he started walking to and from school with Sacchan,” Shouhei said. 

“Not today he’s not,” Mikoto said darkly. 

“Guys, it’s fine, really,” Misaki said, but his voice was too weak to be heard over everyone else talking. 

“We should go get ice cream after school,” Anna said, her voice taking on that hint of stubbornness she sometimes got. “Sukuna and I were going to go to the library, but he’ll understand.” 

The thought of keeping Anna and Sukuna from spending time together was tempting, but Misaki was not going to sabotage their relationship just because he was feeling a little bit down. 

“No, Anna, you don’t have to-” Misaki began. 

“After school? Why wait that long? He’s already depressed, why make him suffer through afternoon classes?” Saburouta said. 

“No, he needs to at least be there for the afternoon roll call,” Eric said, because once during their first year Misaki had dozed off for the afternoon roll call and gotten marked absent and he’d ended up grounded for a month because the school had called his mom and she’d assumed he’d skipped. 

“So one of us just answers for him, we can do that,” Shouhei said. 

“Guys, I-” 

“We might need a distraction to get out without getting caught,” Mikoto said. “Mr. Miwa’s in charge of patrolling the grounds today and he has some kind of sixth sense for students sneaking out.” 

“Hm, that might be hard to finagle,” Masaomi said. 

“I’m sure Izumo can think of something, right?” Tatara said. 

“Oh yeah! Hey Izumo, how can you be on your PDA at a time like this! Stop texting, Yatachan needs our help!” Saburouta said, his volume rising a little too loud for Misaki’s liking. Even if he hadn’t just promised Sacchan to be quiet, they were right outside the student council room. 

“Hmm, oh, right, what’s going on?” Izumo said, pocketing his PDA. 

“We need you to-” Yoh began, but Misaki had had enough. 

“Guys, I said it’s fine already!” he shouted, and the whole group went silent. And oh crap, now he was the loud one. Well, whatever, at least now they were listening. “Look, I appreciate you guys trying to look out for me and all, but Rikio already tried that kind of stuff this weekend, so there’s no need. And I really can’t afford to miss class with my grades being in the tank and all, and just, thanks, but no. I’m fine. I’ll get it over it. Eventually.” 

“Well, if that’s what you say,” Mikoto said, an unconvinced look on his face. He reached over and ruffled Misaki’s hair in a rare display of affection. 

The group changed the subject after that, but the damage had already been done. In the end, Misaki went back to class before the end of lunch to study instead of hanging around. Sacchan was putting in a helluva lot of effort to help him pass, so he might as well do as much as he could too. There were rumors about a quiz for their next class floating around, and he wanted to be prepared- or as prepared as a moron like him could be. Besides, his textbooks never rubbed salt in his wounds by asking him questions about his doomed love life. 

* * *

_IzumoKusanagi: I hate to gloat and all but…_   
_IzumoKusanagi: I totally called it_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: what, did they stop playing that weird game?_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: or do they all hate each other because of it?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: First of all, ninja is not a weird game_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Secondly, they did indeed stop playing, but that was not what I was referring to_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Did I, or did I not say that Yatachan freaking out on you was probably a miscommunication?_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: … u did_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Well, given that he just told everyone that you won’t ever like him back, he’s not your type, and he’s already been rejected, I would think there was some miscommunication somewhere_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: what the actual fuck?_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: I JUST TOLD HIM I’M GAY_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: HOW TF DOES THAT EQUATE 2 ALL THAT?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Maybe he think you think he’s a girl_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: uve gotta b fucking kidding me_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: hes obviosuly a guy?!?_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: y would I ever thinking that he’s a girl?!?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Wow, you type like Yatachan when you’re upset lol_   
_IzumoKusanagi: And before you get too angry, it has happened before_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: r u fucking serious?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: I told you before, didn’t I? One of the student council officers thought he was a girl before_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Though I don’t think anyone’s made that mistake since middle school_   
_IzumoKusanagi: And g2g they’re trying to get my attention now_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since a few teachers have been mentioned at this point, here's a list of (somewhat) relevant teachers and students who are in their classes.  
> Mr. Iwafune is the homeroom teacher for class 1-2. Anna and Andy are in his class.  
> Mr. Kotosaka is the homeroom teacher for class 1-4. Sukuna and Neko are in his class.  
> Mr. Zenjou is the homeroom teacher for class 2-1. Saruhiko, Akira, Ren, Daichi, Tatsuya, and Takeru are all in his class.  
> Mr. Miwa is the homeroom teacher for class 2-2. Kuro, Douhan, and Kukuri are all in his class.  
> Mr. Shiotsu is the homeroom teacher for class 2-3. Misaki, Saburouta, Eric, Shouhei, and Kousuke are all in his class.  
> Mr. Habari is the homeroom teacher for class 3-1. Reisi, Seri, Himori, Yuujirou, Ryuhou, and Yayoi are all in his class.  
> Mr. Ootori (yes he is a different person than Mr. Iwafune in this) is the homeroom teacher for class 3-2. Nagare, Yukari, and Shiro are all in his class.  
> Mr. Kagutsu is the homeroom teacher for class 3-5. Mikoto, Izumo, Rikio, Tatara, Yoh, and Masaomi are all in this class.  
> There are other classes and other teachers, but they aren't important. And honestly, most of this info isn't either, but I planned it so here it is anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

Saruhiko stared at his PDA and sighed. He had thought maybe Izumo was just exaggerating when he’d first suggested that there had been some sort of miscommunication, but apparently Misaki’s thought process was more unfathomable than he’d anticipated. Saruhiko HAD NOT rejected Misaki, and definitely had no plans to do so. And he hadn’t said anything about Misaki not being his type either. Though, if he was being honest with himself, Misaki wasn’t really. If you were to ask Saruhiko to describe his ideal boyfriend, it would be someone very different from Misaki. Someone calm, intellectual, and definitely nowhere near as loud. The kind of guy who wouldn’t fly on a skateboard and lose track of himself, and who wouldn’t watch TV with his kid siblings, and who no one would ever think to describe as a human trainwreck. 

But just because Misaki wasn’t what he pictured when he thought of his type didn’t mean that he wasn’t interested. Because Misaki had plenty of good points. He had a sweet side that came out rather frequently if you watched carefully, and he tried his hardest at everything he did. His awkwardness, his self-consciousness, and the way he was easy to tease were all endearing features too. And yes, he was also really attractive, but there was more to falling in love than just how pretty a person’s face was. And maybe Saruhiko wasn’t in love with Misaki since he’d only know the guy for a week, but given half a chance, he thought he probably would be. 

At least there was one comforting thing in Misaki’s misunderstanding. Izumo had said Misaki had told everyone that Saruhiko would never like him back. An idiotic sentiment, given how completely untrue it was, but an important one, since Misaki though Saruhiko would never like him _back_. Meaning Misaki definitely liked him, right? Was he getting his hopes up too much? 

“I have figured it out,” Reisi said, coming over to Saruhiko’s desk in the student council room. The other student council members had finally dispersed, leaving the room because someone had claimed to see a rainbow at the other end of the building. They probably thought it was good luck or that they would get a wish if they saw it or something. 

“Have what figured out?” Saruhiko asked irritably. Today had been kinda a rough day. 

“You are glasses4lyfe. That is how you knew my username, HaremKing.” 

Saruhiko gaped, wondering how the hell this guy could figure that out in the past fifteen minutes. Reisi smirked at Saruhiko’s expression. 

“It wasn’t that hard, since you seem to be wondering how I did it. Allow me to give you a hint: I only use that username in Color Kings, and my identity has only ever been mentioned on forums involving the core Scepter 4 members. It’s all a matter of numbers from there.” 

How the fuck was that a hint? Annoying. This guy’s arrogance was so annoying. What was that even supposed to mean, numbers? Whatever, it was hardly worth Saruhiko’s time to worry about. 

“Also, would you mind staying after school today?” Reisi asked. “The chairman asked me to make and post some fliers regarding some upcoming events in the school, and while I should be able to get everything put together during the school day, I have kendo club after school, and won’t be able to post the fliers, and the other student council members are all busy with club activities as well.” 

Saruhiko wanted to say no. He wanted to walk home with Misaki like usual, and he wanted to ask Misaki what the heck was going on, and he didn’t want to stick around after school putting up stupid fliers. But he had agreed to be a part of the student council, which meant doing things he didn’t want to do and skipping things he did want sometimes. 

“Yeah, sure,” he sighed. “What all do I have to do exactly?” 

“I will leave the fliers in here. You just need to go and pin them to all the bulletin boards around campus. There are 28 boards, by the way. I will make 30 copies of each of the fliers so you have extras just in case.” 

“How many fliers are there?” 

“Five. A reminder about the end of term exams, a reminder to behave during the summer break, an updated calendar of events, an announcement that the school will be hosting a fireworks display over the break and all students and their families are invited, and a reminder that the school festival will be three weeks after the break ends and so clubs may begin preparations during the break so as to have more time to work on their class activities after the break.” 

Saruhiko was amazed that Reisi could rattle all that off without having to stop and think about what he was saying even once. Most people would have to try to remember at least one of those things, but not Reisi. Though at the same time, it hadn’t really been necessary to explain what would be on the fliers, since that wasn’t required knowledge for posting them, and also Saruhiko would have plenty of time to read them as he put them up. 

“Got it,” Saruhiko mumbled in reply. 

As lunch ended he got out his PDA and quick sent a text to Misaki about the situation before the PDA lock took effect. 

_SaruhikoFushimi: apparently I have to stay after school for student council stuff. Sorry._  
_MisakiYata: thats okay i can aiwt_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: u really don’t need 2. Thanks tho._  
_MisakiYata: i dont minfs waintg_  
_MisakiYata: besdies just because its daytime doesnt mean its safe to walk around alone_  
_MisakiYata: and what if u start feeling abd_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: I’ll b fine. Really. Just go home. I’ll stop by once I’m done to work on homework._  
_MisakiYata: whatever text me when ut done and ill come get u_

Saruhiko rolled his eyes when he saw how Misaki texted. It seemed just like him to not check his spelling at all. It was a lot like the way yatagarasu typed, which he found a little disconcerting, as he had to remind himself that he was talking to Misaki who he’d only known a week and not the friend he’d known for months. 

The afternoon classes rolled by, and then school ended and Saruhiko reluctantly headed for the student council room. It was empty when he entered, but stacked neatly on the desk he usually sat at were three piles of paper. Odd, Reisi had said there were five sets of fliers to post. 

When Saruhiko got closer, he saw the note. 

_Saruhiko, my apologies, but the computer lab ran out of color ink while the fliers were printing, and there wasn’t any extra toner. A teacher went to restock the ink supply, and will bring by the rest of the fliers when they are done printing. I apologize for the inconvenience, and appreciate your help in this matter. Thank you._  
_-Reisi M._

Was he for fucking serious? So what was Saruhiko supposed to do until the rest of the fliers were brought in? Sit around and twiddle his thumbs? He certainly wasn’t going to go and start posting fliers, since he’d only have to backtrack once the other fliers were done. Annoying. He should never have agreed to this. He pulled out his PDA and texted Misaki. 

_SaruhikoFushimi: ugh_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: this is going 2 take longer than i thought_  
_MisakiYata: is there anything i can do 3 help_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: no_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: thanks tho_

It was a little surprising how quickly Misaki had texted back, but it warmed Saruhiko’s heart. This was why he liked the guy so much. Though once again he had to shake himself to remember that this was Misaki and not yatagarasu, because it seemed Misaki tended to hit the number 3 instead of 2, just like yatagarasu did. It was somewhat strange, since Saruhiko had never seen anyone else make that mistake before, and yet here were the two guys he felt close to, and they both did it. 

For a brief second, Saruhiko contemplated the idea that perhaps Misaki and yatagarasu could be the same person. But no, that was ludicrous. 

While he waited, Saruhiko put his mind to the task of figuring out how Reisi had identified him so easily. Reisi had mentioned something about the forums for the core members of the guild. In the case of Scepter 4 that meant the guild leader and the top ten players aside from the leader. But what had Reisi meant when he said it was a matter of numbers? Did he mean it had something to do with everyone’s high score records? But that made no sense. How would that help Reisi identify Saruhiko as glasses4lyfe? 

By the time some teacher Saruhiko didn’t know arrived with the fliers, he had yet to come up with an answer. 

Saruhiko trekked through the school, trying to find all the goddamn bulletin boards. Why were there so many of them? He wanted to just slap the fliers up and stick pins in them, but he supposed that wasn’t really acceptable and reluctantly took the time to carefully place each of them, lining them up neatly and trying his best not to cover or take down existing fliers unless they were very clearly irrelevant, such as the fliers pertaining to the sports festival or a flier for a New Year’s concert that had long since passed. He spent the whole time grumbling to himself, resenting such a time-consuming task that he couldn’t care less about. 

It took over an hour to get all the fliers up. Partly because Saruhiko got lost a couple times, but also because of the painstaking care he took to do the job right. It was also surprisingly tiring, and Saruhiko felt dead on his feet as he returned to the student council room. He was so ready to go home and spend some time with Misaki before going home and going online to game for a while. 

What he was not ready for was to find Mikoto Suoh in the student council room, sprawled across the tops of four desks that had been pushed up against each other, apparently napping. The sight was incongruous enough that Saruhiko found himself rooted to the spot, just staring. He tried to find his voice, so he could ask what the hell Mikoto was doing there, but his vocal chords didn’t seem to be functioning. 

And then, just to make the moment more awkward, Mikoto cracked open a single eye and caught him gaping. 

“Oh. ‘S’you,” Mikoto rumbled. “You’re here rather late.” 

“I could say the same to you,” Saruhiko said, his voice finally working. Like a spell had been broken, he moved forward, heading towards his self-assigned desk to grab his school bag. 

“‘M waiting for someone,” Mikoto said, and rolled over onto his side so he was facing away from Saruhiko. 

“Well wait somewhere else,” Saruhiko said, pulling his PDA from his pocket so he could text Misaki. “The student council room isn’t a playground. You can’t just come in here whenever you like.” 

“So noisy,” Mikoto complained. 

“If it bothers you, then leave.” Saruhiko’s hands were shaking as he tried to open up Misaki’s contact info, making things difficult. Why was he shaking? Was it anger? Nerves? A sudden seizure? Please not a seizure. It was one of the few health issues he’d never had to deal with, and he really didn’t feel like starting now. 

“Or you could be the one to leave ‘cuz I was here first,” Mikoto said, and lazily lifted a hand to flap it in a shooing motion. 

“Except I’m the one who actually has a reason to be here,” Saruhiko snapped, slamming the PDA down on the desk and turning to scowl at Mikoto. 

“I have a reason too,” Mikoto said, slowly pushing himself upright. He turned to glare back at Saruhiko, and Saruhiko felt himself shrink back a bit. “Like I said, I’m waiting for someone, you twit.” 

Saruhiko tried to find it in himself to argue back, but he felt himself being cowed. He needed to stand up to this guy. It was his job as a member of the student council, and also because this was the pest that Misaki gravitated towards. He needed to win, and yet… 

And yet he couldn’t. 

“Suoh, that’s quite enough,” Reisi said from the doorway. 

Saruhiko jumped, startled, but Mikoto didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see Reisi standing there in his kendo uniform. 

“He started it,” Mikoto growled. Saruhiko rolled his eyes at the childish response. 

“That doesn’t mean you had to rise to the occasion,” Reisi replied calmly. 

“Are you sure you wanna be mean to me when I came all this way just to give you something?” Mikoto asked, raising one eyebrow. 

And just like that, the atmosphere of the room had changed. It was just as oppressive to Saruhiko, but it had gone from scaring him to making him feel like an unwelcome intruder. Almost like Reisi and Mikoto were… 

Well that was a weird thought. Saruhiko decided that he wanted nothing more to do with the situation and that he was getting out of there. He grabbed his bag and fled, all too happy to leave that behind. He was halfway down the stairs when he remembered that his PDA was still on the desk in the student council room. 

Saruhiko did not want to go back there, especially not after the way he’d turned tail and ran. But he had promised to text Misaki when he was done and he hadn’t yet, and also he didn’t want to leave his PDA at school overnight. With a sigh he headed back up the stairs and returned to the student council room. He knocked twice against the door before opening it and walking in. 

Apparently two raps on the door had not been enough, because when he walked in, Reisi and Mikoto were kissing. As if that weren’t startling enough, there was a lighter in Mikoto’s hand and a lit cigarette in Reisi’s. 

“You taste like an ashtray," Mikoto said to Reisi as they pulled apart. 

“If you’re going to complain then take the first drag for yourself next time,” Reisi retorted, handing the cigarette over. He then turned, and calmly asked Saruhiko, “Is something the matter?” 

“That’s, uh, PDA,” Saruhiko said, pointing towards the desk where he’d left his device. 

“No it’s not,” Reisi said, a smirk on his face. Mikoto took a puff of the cigarette, his eyes glinting in amusement as he watched the exchange. “We were completely in private until you returned, so it can hardly be considered a public display of affection.” 

Saruhiko just wished the ground would swallow him right then. He sidled over to the desk, trying to will the blood to stop flowing in his face so that he wouldn’t blush like a tomato. As he picked up the forgotten device, the cigarette was returned to Reisi, who took his turn while Mikoto went to open a window. 

“I-I meant this,” Saruhiko said, holding up his PDA and looking desperately at the door, wishing he were on the other side of it already. 

“He knows,” Mikoto said. “He just has to be a dick about things. Now hurry up and leave. I don’t want Yatachan going ballistic over you getting lung cancer.” 

Saruhiko suspected that this was hardly the reason Mikoto, and probably Reisi as well, wanted him gone, but he wasn’t about to argue. He wasn’t sure retrieving his PDA had really been worth it after all. 

Once outside the room, Saruhiko scurried down the hall until he reached the staircase. It couldn’t have been more than a couple hundred feet, but it left his lungs burning. He stopped for a breather, and then opened up the PDA to text Misaki he was done. He sent the text and then caught his breath, and continued his journey to the shoe lockers. He had just switched out his shoes and retrieved his umbrella when he heard running footsteps and Misaki came charging into view. 

“Misaki? What are you still doing here?” Saruhiko asked. 

“Couldn’t… let you walk… by yourself… could I?” Misaki panted. 

Saruhiko had to roll his eyes. He also had to smile, but he managed to hold that off until Misaki was safely turned away from him and changing his shoes. 

“Weren’t you supposed to be doing your homework?” Saruhiko asked as they headed out into the gloomy day. 

“I was!” Misaki protested. “I went to the library to wait for you and do homework! I even got a lot of it done, really! But… I kinda need your help on the English assignment. Even after looking at my notes and the textbook, I still don’t get that ditransitive verb stuff.” 

“It’s like ‘put’ or ‘give’,” Saruhiko explained. “The verb has two objects, usually separated by a preposition.” 

“Ugh, I can never remember all those fancy terms for different kinds of words,” Misaki complained. “Anyway, what’d you have to do that made you stay so late?” 

“Oh, I just had to post some fliers on the bulletin boards.” 

“Wait seriously?” Misaki yelped. “I could have helped you and then we would have been done way sooner!” 

“It wasn’t your responsibility,” Saruhiko replied. 

“So? I still would have helped.” Misaki pouted, and Saruhiko had to hold back a grin at the sight of a sulky Misaki. It was almost as cute as his blushing face. 

Maybe having to put up fliers hadn’t been so bad after all, if it led to the discovery of another cute side to Misaki, and if it allowed Saruhiko to find out what it was like to have a friend who would wait for you. 

* * *

As much as Saruhiko enjoyed eating dinner at the Yata house, he just wished Misaki’s mom didn’t serve so many vegetables. He didn’t care if they were “good for him”, he didn’t like them. Everybody had things they couldn’t stand to eat, and vegetables were one of those things for Saruhiko. 

After dinner and after Misaki had walked him home, Saruhiko went online to find that the monthly score rankings had been posted. They were pretty much the usual results. 

_1: USAGIMAN_  
_2: HeartlessParrot_  
_3: Himmelreich_  
_4: Firelion_  
_5: HaremKing_  
_6: KiraKiraMan_  
_7: leangreenfightingmachine_  
_8: Black_Dog_  
_9: Iwa-san_  
_10: ThePathNotTaken_  
_11: LionPrincess_  
_12: catattack!_  
_13: Anko_Love_  
_14: Smokinhot_  
_15: glasses4lyfe_  
_16: yatagarasu_  
_17: moneyshinobi_  
_18: ShingSparkleSparkle_  
_19: KotatsuSpells_  
_20: KlaudiaIsana_

It looked like he’d managed to beat yatagarasu in the score rankings this time. Probably because of all those times yatagarasu hadn’t been online because he’d been grounded or busy. And Homra’s letsallhavefun had finally been beaten out of the ranking. It was no surprise, given that the guy had super low stats for a ranker, but he’d managed to hold on to the position for so long that it seemed odd to see another name at the bottom of the top rankings list. Meanwhile, there was Reisi in 5th place, and Seri in 13th, and another two of his guild members in 18th and 19th. 

Come to think of it, those were the same two guild members who had been talking with Reisi and Seri about Reisi’s screen name that time. They had known Reisi was the student council vice president. They knew who he was, which meant he probably knew who they were. 

On a hunch, Saruhiko went over to the Scepter 4 forums and began looking through them, looking for any use of names. And sure enough, he started seeing familiar names: Akira, Daichi, Ryuhou, Andy, Tatsuya… Aside from himself, Seri, and Reisi, there were eight active student council officers, and eight core members of Scepter 4. So that’s what Reisi had meant by a matter of numbers. He immediately sent a message to Reisi. 

_glasses4lyfe: do u really mean 2 tell me that all the core members of our guild are members of the student council?_  
_HaremKing: I see you’ve figured it out._  
_HaremKing: I didn’t think it would take long, and you didn’t disappoint, Saruhiko._  
_glasses4lyfe: are the members who never show up also part of the guild?_  
_HaremKing: Hardly._  
_HaremKing: No, they all are part of Hakumaitou._  
_HaremKing: In fact, our president is the guild leader, Himmelreich._  
_glasses4lyfe: i don’t think u would lie about that, but it seems hard to believe_  
_HaremKing: :)_  
_HaremKing: Perhaps some of the other players are closer than you think…_  
_glasses4lyfe: if this is another one of ur little hints, I’m not in the mood_

Saruhiko closed the chat, and opened up the party tab to see if yatagarasu was on. He wasn’t, and Saruhiko had some other questions on his mind so he signed off and grabbed his PDA. The PDA that had gotten him into the situation he had the questions about. 

_SaruhikoFushimi: I have a question 4 u_   
_IzumoKusanagi: can it wait 5 min?_  
_IzumoKusanagi: @ cram school but almost 2 break_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: ok_

_IzumoKusanagi: Okay, the break’s started. What did Yatachan do now?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: actually it’s about Mikoto_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Oho?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: and also about Reisi_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Hold that thought_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Seri-chan’s reading over my shoulder and trying to dictate my response so I’m gonna start a new convo w/ her in it_

_IzumoKusanagi: I guess I probably should have asked if u were ok w/ her being added in first. IzumoKusanagi: Sorry._  
_SeriAwashima: Tsk, tsk, Izumo. So inconsiderate._  
_SaruhikoFushimi: weren’t u the 1 trying to butt in in the 1st place?_  
_IzumoKusanagi: So what was this question about Mikoto and Reisi?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: r they dating?_  
_IzumoKusanagi: lol yup_  
_SeriAwashima: Dare I ask how they slipped up this time?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: ?_  
_SeriAwashima: They both have their reasons for wanting to keep their relationship quiet. They trusted us with the secret since they wanted help covering their tracks, and since then we’ve had to cover several times when they messed up._  
_SaruhikoFushimi: I c_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: y is it so secret? Like, I can kinda guess a bit, but…_  
_SeriAwashima: Reisi has his image to think about. He’s the top of his class and the student council vice president, and Mikoto Suoh is… a disaster._  
_IzumoKusanagi: Harsh as ever, Seri-chan_  
_IzumoKusanagi: For Mikoto, he also doesn’t want to ruin his bad-boy image, and also Yatachan would take it badly since he hates Reisi so much._  
_IzumoKusanagi: And also I think he’s worried Tatara will b hurt that he moved on already, since they were dating until two months ago._  
_SeriAwashima: I think Reisi might also enjoy telling people he has a boyfriend but not letting on who his boyfriend is._  
_SeriAwashima: He certainly seems to have fun watching Yuujirou try to figure it out._  
_IzumoKusanagi: Oh yeah, Mikoto too. He likes sneaking around_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: that all makes sense_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: tho if Reisi’s so worried about his image then y does he smoke_  
_SeriAwashima: I BEG YOUR PARDON_  
_SeriAwashima: IZUMO STOP LAUGHING. WHAT DO YOU KNOW?_  
_SeriAwashima: YOU AND MIKOTO GOT HIM INTO IT, DIDN’T YOU?_  
_IzumoKusanagi: He was already a smoker before they started dating, I swear!_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Ow! Sacchan, make her stop hitting me!_  
_IzumoKusanagi: It’s really not my or Mikoto’s fault!_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: so it’s also a secret that Reisi smokes, huh?_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Yeah_  
_IzumoKusanagi: That’s actually how they first bonded_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Mikoto was walking through the park and came across Reisi having trouble with a lighter. He got out his and lit the cigarette for Reisi, and they ended up talking and it became a regular thing._  
_IzumoKusanagi: Or so the legend goes, anyway_  
_IzumoKusanagi: Personally I think those two just had a bunch of unresolved sexual tension right from the start and were bound to get together but… not everyone agrees with my theories._  
_SeriAwashima: There is no way those two are fated or anything like that!_  
_IzumoKusanagi: See what I mean?_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: yeah_  
_SaruhikoFushimi: thanks_  
_IzumoKusanagi: np_  
_SeriAwashima: Just please don’t go telling everyone._  
_SaruhikoFushimi: wasn’t planning on it_

So Reisi and Mikoto, huh? Not something Saruhiko would have expected. And if he remembered correctly, that meant Mikoto had come up with Reisi’s username. Though one did have to wonder why exactly he had chosen “HaremKing” for his boyfriend. 

Whatever. They were a weird couple and that was that. 

* * *

Misaki wondered if maybe he was being too clingy. Sacchan had seemed annoyed when he’d stayed so they could still walk together, so maybe that had been a mistake. But wasn’t it dangerous for girls to walk alone? Heck, his mom even worried about him walking alone, and he was a guy. Though his mom had also been around back in middle school, when things had been a little different for him… 

He knew that some people needed more space than others. Maybe Sacchan was one of those. Maybe spending all afternoon together was too tiring for her- he knew that a lot of people found him tiring. Normally he didn’t mind if his high energy levels made others feel drained, but Sacchan was different. Sacchan was his friend. 

This probably meant he needed to apologize to Sacchan. Again. Man, he was really bad at this. Sometimes their friendship just seemed like an absolute disaster. A trainwreck, glasses4lyfe might say. It probably would have been better if they’d never met, if Sacchan had had a different neighbor. Then Sacchan could have friends who were actually worth her time and Misaki could just continue on with his fear of girls like normal, with none of this confusion or heartbreak. 

After dinner, Misaki’s mom had him take Minoru and Megumi out for ice cream, since Minoru had gotten an A on a book report he’d written and Megumi had actually taken a nap during nap time that day. The three of them got a giant ice cream sundae to share, and Misaki did his best to make sure Minoru got most of the strawberry ice cream since that was his favorite, and Megumi had most of the cookie pieces since she liked those. Between making sure both his siblings got their favorite parts and trying to keep Megumi from getting too sticky, Misaki didn’t actually get much of the ice cream, but that was okay. Unlike the other two, he hadn’t done anything great to deserve it. He was just there because the other two were too little to go by themselves and his parents both deserved a chance to relax after being busy all day. 

When they got back from the ice cream parlor, Misaki went online and immediately looked for glasses4lyfe, but he wasn’t online. He could talk to his friends instead on the guild forums, but he didn’t feel like it after the way lunch time had gone. Instead, he looked at the top 20 rankings he’d skipped over before and felt himself cringing. He was ranked 16th, while glasses4lyfe was 15th. He was competitive by nature, so he didn’t like being ranked lower, but more than that, he was embarrassed, because up until now, whenever his rival had outranked him, he’d always made excuses as to why the other had won. He’d been busy, he’d gotten grounded, he’d missed an event dungeon that had yielded a lot of points. But really, he had to admit that most of the time, glasses4lyfe earned his victories. And he never made excuses when things were the other way around. Instead, he’d congratulate Misaki. 

Great, not only was he a dick to Sacchan, but he was also a total jerk to his online friend. Misaki felt like such a great guy. Not really, that was sarcasm, thanks for noticing, bye. 

Given the circumstances, Misaki decided to go grind for a bit. The first dungeon he went to, he had to leave right away since he noticed the infamous KiraKiraMan, ranked #6 and proud of his high PK count, was also there. He settled on a different dungeon, working to gain bonus points while also trying to level up his character. He was still at it when glasses4lyfe joined him. 

After they finished the final boss of the dungeon, they opened up their chat like usual. 

_glasses4lyfe: so I still haven’t thought of a healthier way 2 deal with our broken hearts, but I’m gonna need u 2 not b pissy w/ Trainwreck because he’s really fucking cute and absolutely does not deserve it ___  
_yatagarasu: he was kinda a dick when u came out 2 him tho_  
_glasses4lyfe: yeah but he’s also the kind of guy who will wait over an hour 4 me 2 finish student council stuff and that’s really sweet don’t u think?_  
_glasses4lyfe: plus his friend is 99% certain there was some kind of misunderstanding_  
_glasses4lyfe: like apparently he seems 2 think I rejected him, so idk_  
_yatagarasu: if ur both guys then how would u telling him ur fay mean u were rejecting him_  
_glasses4lyfe: irdk_  
_glasses4lyfe: but there IS a reason I call him Trainwreck, right?_  
_yatagarasu: true dat_  
_glasses4lyfe: so how about u? How’re things w/ ur crush?_  
_yatagarasu: ugh_  
_yatagarasu: ugh_  
_yatagarasu: UGH_  
_glasses4lyfe: that bad, huh?_  
_yatagarasu: i think im being too slingt_  
_yatagarasu: *clingy_  
_glasses4lyfe: how so?_  
_yatagarasu: we walk to and from school together and then she spends all afternoon at my house and since im really energetic it probably annoys her and so she probably wants more space_  
_glasses4lyfe: dude, calm down_  
_glasses4lyfe: has she said anything to indicate that ur bothering her_  
_yatagarasu: no?_  
_yatagarasu: not that i noticed?_  
_yatagarasu: but im really dense so what if she did and i just didnt understand it_  
_glasses4lyfe: I think ur overthinking_  
_glasses4lyfe: but if ur that worried, just make it clear that she can tell u 2 piss off whenever and u won’t b upset_  
_yatagarasu: i guess i could…_  
_yatagarasu: also my friends kinda went on the awt path against her today_  
_yatagarasu: *war path_  
_glasses4lyfe: what? Y?_  
_yatagarasu: i told them that things werent gonna work out with me and her and they got really defencive on my behalf_  
_glasses4lyfe: wow_  
_glasses4lyfe: just wow_  
_glasses4lyfe: that’s ridiculous_  
_glasses4lyfe: isn’t that a little extreme?_  
_yatagarasu: it was a little_  
_yatagarasu: but at the same time u cant really blame them for looking out 4 me_  
_glasses4lyfe: but to get mad at someone 4 not liking u back?_  
_yatagarasu: like i said it was a bit much_  
_yatagarasu: but theyre always really protective of me cuz if middle school_  
_glasses4lyfe: oh_  
_glasses4lyfe: did u get bullied or something?_  
_glasses4lyfe: nvm_  
_glasses4lyfe: I know u don’t like 2 talk about back then, forget I asked_  
_yatagarasu: yeah_  
_yatagarasu: almost all of first year and the first trimeseter of second yeat_  
_glasses4lyfe: u really don’t have 2 talk about this_  
_yatagarasu: nah its cool_  
_yatagarasu: ill live_  
_yatagarasu: i survived back then i can survive talking about it_  
_glasses4lyfe: u know, sometimes reliving an event is a lot worse than actually experiencing it_  
_yatagarasu: no really_  
_yatagarasu: compared 2 what some people fo through it wasnt all that bad_  
_yatagarasu: just_  
_yatagarasu: i was short and loud and hay ad kinda stupid and scared of girls and i might as well have carried around a sign saying “bully me”_  
_yatagarasu: *gay_  
_yatagarasu: tho i didnt eralice back then that i was gay_  
_yatagarasu: *realize_  
_yatagarasu: dam maybe ur right about me nedeing 2 check my spelling more_  
_yatagarasu: but like i wasnt interested in going out with any girls and i called a guy beautiful once and after that i think everyone else figured out except 4 me lol_  
_yatagarasu: so peple liekd 2 pick on me back then_  
_yatagarasu: but then i started hanging out with my direnfs and after that people left me alone_  
_yatagarasu: espeically since my 1 firend is kinfa scary 2 a lot of people cuz hes really tough_  
_yatagarasu: a bunch of people even came and apaologived 2 me once i started handing out with the,_  
_yatagarasu: that actually kinda pissed me off tho_  
_yatagarasu: like what kinda second rate bully picks on someone 4 over a year and then the moment they make some firends u come saying u didnt mean it and ur sorry 4 everything_  
_yatagarasu: i really wanted 2 punch them all in the face_  
_yatagarasu: sorry i said a lot there didnt i_  
_glasses4lyfe: u should’ve_  
_yatagarasu: ?_  
_glasses4lyfe: punched them in the face, I mean_  
_glasses4lyfe: they deserved it_  
_yatagarasu: lol yeah they did but i didnt wanna get suspecned or anything_  
_yatagarasu: plus my friends kidna did some stuff 2_  
_yatagarasu: like theres my tough friend and he started following me around 2 make sure no one messed with me_  
_yatagarasu: but also 1 of my other friends whos super nice went around asking people 2 stop picking on me and since hes super nice it actually worked and my other firends said if people tried 3 bully me hed get proog and show it 2 the teachers and get them expelled_  
_yatagarasu: so yeah they overreacted about my crush but theyve had to look out 4 me in the past and i think that sort of reaction might be autoemativ_  
_yatagarasu: *automstic_  
_glasses4lyfe: well, even if they do overreact 2 things, I’m glad u have such good friends_  
_glasses4lyfe: because from what I’ve seen, u deserve them_  
_yatagarasu: awwwww <3_  
_yatagarasu: thanks_  
_yatagarasu: u 2_  
_yatagarasu: u derseved good friends 2_  
_yatagarasu: if u want ill introduce u 2 mine someday_  
_glasses4lyfe: I think I’d like that_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I, essentially, post game rankings as a means to justify coming up with usernames for a bunch of characters who don't play major roles in this fic? ...maybe. Okay yeah, that was like 99% of the reason for that.


	8. Chapter 8

As if it was trying to deny the previous day’s downpour, Tuesday dawned bright and sunny, and hotter than it had any right to be. It was exactly the kind of day that would kick-start the maternal instincts of Saruhiko’s mother, causing her to actually talk to him and insist he take a UV-blocking umbrella with him as shade. It was an embarrassing thing to carry, especially since Misaki was already waiting for him when he left the house and saw it, meaning there was no stuffing it into his backpack once he was outside. And if the stupid parasol wasn’t enough, Misaki had a couple of paper fans, one for each of them, and insisted that he use one to stay cool during the day. 

Alright, so maybe the paper fan was actually a good idea. But Saruhiko had a fan of his own. He didn’t need people to baby him. 

At school, Saruhiko made sure to stop by the nurse’s office to show that yes, he was taking proper care of himself and the nurse didn’t need to go into a panic over him being out in such hot weather. The nurse still pushed a giant thermos full of water at him and told him to try and drink it by the end of the day. He accepted it, but definitely had plans to pour at least half the liquid inside down a drain. 

Morning lessons went by much like usual, with the teachers passing on information at a painstakingly slow pace. It was boring, and Saruhiko was beginning to wonder why he’d ever wanted this in his life. Sometimes school felt like the biggest waste of time. 

During the break, the student council members were all treating Saruhiko like a hero for staying after school to post the stupid fliers. The way they acted, it was like he’d single-handedly fought off an army, slain a dragon, discovered the cure for cancer, defused a dozen bombs, fixed world hunger, and established world peace all in the course of a single afternoon. It was a little annoying how much glory they gave him for simply impaling a bunch of pieces of paper onto bulletin boards in an orderly fashion. 

His PDA alerted him that he’d gotten a text, and he pulled it out to see that the text was from Misaki. He excused himself to the bathroom, certain that if he tried to read it in the student council room, he’d have a horde trying to read over his shoulder. 

_MisakiYata: whats ur favotier food_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: carbonic acid_   
_MisakiYata: what_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: it’s an ingredient in many sodas, and in my opinion, the thing that makes them so refreshing_   
_MisakiYata: i meant like an actual food tho_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: ice cream. Vanilla or coffee-flavored_   
_MisakiYata: right well just make omurice_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: y does it matter?_   
_MisakiYata: my class has home ec aftwr this_   
_MisakiYata: and u dont like the bentos ur mom sends so i wanted to make u something ull actually like_   
_MisakiYata: so make sure u come to the home ec room at lunhc 2 get it_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: okay_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: there better b ketchup 2 put on the omelette tho_

Saruhiko would have been lying if he said that he didn’t like the idea of eating a lunch that Misaki had made with him in mind. So he didn’t say that. He didn’t comment on it at all. But it was hard to keep a sappy grin off his face as he returned to the student council room. It didn’t help that Misaki was with his friends, still camped out outside the student council room (although much quieter because the heat seemed to have sapped all energy from them, even Misaki), and so Saruhiko had to walk right past him to get back to the room. He had to wonder how Reisi could manage it, dating Mikoto while simultaneously ignoring him when other people were around. Trying to act naturally when Misaki was around was nearly impossible for Saruhiko, and they weren't even at that level yet. 

Perhaps it was just the prospect of a special meal, but by lunchtime, Saruhiko felt like it had been an eternity since his last meal. His stomach wasn’t growling just yet, but it wanted to be filled. He was only too happy to scurry off to the home ec classroom to retrieve his lunch. 

When he arrived at the home ec room, Misaki wasn’t there. However, the four guys from his class that he hung out with were seated around one of the cooking stations, eating. One of them, the one who had been wearing a baseball cap that first meeting, saw him and waved. 

“Sacchan, over here!” he called. He seemed to be the most outgoing of the group. 

Saruhiko wasn’t too keen on hanging out with Misaki’s friends, but he joined the group all the same. The spiky-haired guy pushed a plate covered by plastic wrap over to him, indicating it was his. 

“Where’s Misaki?” Saruhiko asked as he removed the plastic wrap. Next to Spikes, the foreign guy relinquished a bottle of ketchup. 

“He ran off to go buy his lunch at the cafeteria,” Baseball said. “He should be back in a minute or two. He’s an expert at beating the rush from any location.” 

“It’s because he has all that useless energy,” the guy with the hexagon glasses said. 

“Pssht, like you’ve never taken advantage of that,” Foreigner said. 

Saruhiko splurted ketchup onto the omelette portion of his omurice and took a bite. It was hard to be certain since he was biased about the taste thanks to the identity of the cook, but it seemed pretty delicious to him. He took his second bite, then his third, then noticed an unexpected triangle of yellow in the midst of the rice. 

“Is that… pineapple?” he asked. 

“Oh, yeah,” Spikes said offhand. “We thought we’d hid it pretty well, but Yatachan still found it.” 

“Damn that guy and his ability to jump,” Hexagons grumbled, pounding a fist on the table. “Just one time, _one time_ , I’d like to get through a home economics class without using pineapple as an ingredient.” 

“In that case, just join a different group ‘cuz it’ll never happen with Yatachan around,” Spikes said, causing Baseball and Foreigner to snort into their food. 

“Yo! I’m back!” Misaki said, throwing open the door to the home ec room. “Didja guys miss me?” he teased as he bounced over to their group, a plastic bag in his hand. 

“Just when I was thinking it was nice and peaceful…” Foreigner murmured, looking away from Misaki to try and hide the teasing grin on his face. 

“Wha- bu-” Misaki sputtered, and Saruhiko felt a brief wave of solidarity towards Foreigner, because he definitely would have teased Misaki like that too. “Well at least Sacchan is happy to see me, right?” Misaki asked, leaning across the counter and aiming some surprisingly potent puppy eyes at Saruhiko. 

“Debatable,” Saruhiko said, calmly taking another bite of the omurice. 

“Saaaacchaaaan!” Misaki whined. 

“So how do you like the omurice?” Baseball asked, apparently taking pity on Misaki. 

“It’s absolutely terrible,” Saruhiko deadpanned. “The worst.” 

“Oh,” Misaki said, his face falling. “S-sorry, I-” 

“I mean, I like it so much you’re probably going to have to make it for me again,” Saruhiko continued, still completely deadpan. It was comical how much Misaki brightened up at that. 

“Yeah?” Misaki asked. “That’s great! Next time I’ll-” he trailed off as his PDA chimed at him from his pocket, and fished the device out. He peered at the screen, frowning a little at whatever was there. 

“Something wrong?” Spikes asked. He seemed to be the nurturer of the group. 

“Oh, nah,” Misaki said, his voice not quite right. “Just Shiotsu. He said he needs me to come to the teachers’ office for a bit, so…” Misaki laughed, and it sounded like it had been canned and had lost much of its original flavor to the syrups added to preserve it and to the metallic tang of the can. “Anyway, I’ll see ya guys later,” Misaki said, and scampered off through the door that was still open from his entrance. 

“That guy seriously needs to learn to be a better liar,” Foreigner said. 

“Being honest isn’t really a bad thing, Eric,” Baseball sighed. As one, the four guys put down their eating utensils. 

“We probably better make sure he’s not in any actual trouble this time, so we should go,” Hexagons said. “See you later, Sacchan.” 

Saruhiko looked down at his plate that was still half-full, then he looked after the retreating backs of the four guys who hung out with his friend. He sighed, snatching up one last oversized bite of his lunch before following after the guys. 

“Does he often get in trouble?” Saruhiko asked as he jogged up to Misaki’s friends. None of them seemed surprised at him joining them. 

“Well he’s certainly not about to get any rewards for exemplary behavior,” Foreigner said. 

“Not like any of us are,” Baseball laughed. 

“So you think he got called to the teachers’ office over something bad then?” Saruhiko asked. 

“Of course we do,” Hexagons snorted. “He never gets called there for anything good. Last time it was because he’s in danger of failing, the time before that was ‘cuz he got into a fight after school while still wearing his uniform and someone saw and recognized him, and the time before that was ‘cuz the back building got vandalized and someone claimed to have seen him back there around the time it happened- which was a lie, and-” 

“Point is, nothing good ever happens when he gets called to the teachers’ office,” Spikes said grimly. 

They arrived at the teachers’ office just in time to hear Misaki’s voice yelling. 

“But I didn’t! Really! I’ve been studying a lot since last week, I swear!” 

The four guys took one look at each other and barged into the office, Saruhiko right on their heels. The office was full of activity, with teachers eating lunch and talking to students and grading papers all around the room. A few feet in front of them, on the side of the room away from all the desks, Misaki’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Shiotsu, was standing with Misaki himself, a stern expression on his face. As for Misaki, he was facing away from them, but he was shrinking back, afraid. 

“-don’t believe you. You suddenly jumped from a D average that you’ve maintained since middle school to a B- overnight, and that does not just happen, Mr. Yata. I don’t care how much you’ve studied, it’s still you, and therefore cheating is the only explanation.” 

Cheating? They thought Misaki was cheating. Because his grades were improving. What the fuck. What kind of teachers told a student to study harder, and when he did and got results insisted that he hadn’t earned them? 

“But I wouldn’t!” Misaki protested, his voice weakening. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “I-I wouldn’t.” 

“He didn’t cheat,” Saruhiko said, striding forward. “I’ve been tutoring him. I know he knows the subject material we’ve been learning in class.” 

“Saruhiko Fushimi,” Mr. Shiotsu sighed. “This isn’t a matter that concerns you.” 

“Yes it does,” Saruhiko insisted. “Why do you think he’s cheating? Because his homework is more accurate? That’s because I check it to see what’s wrong and then make him fix what he missed. And he does it _on his own_. I only check it, that’s it. He’s doing the work himself, and he’s learning. So he doesn’t need to cheat.” 

“This isn’t about his homework, it’s about the quiz he took yesterday. He only got four questions wrong out of twenty-one. And he didn’t have anyone to check over his answers, unless that’s how he was cheating.” 

“And let me guess, at least three of those four wrong answers were almost correct, he just misapplied the material, right?” Saruhiko argued. He could see from the expression that crossed Mr. Shiotsu’s face and vanished just as quickly that he was right. “It’s because _he knows the material_. He just gets mixed up easily, and so I’ve been helping him work on getting things straight. If he took the quiz again, he’d get similar results. I guarantee it.” 

It was a bit of a gamble, but Saruhiko was pretty confident that Misaki could take a quiz on the same material and get mostly the same results. His tendency to get confused might land him in trouble, but Saruhiko thought that the chances of that happening were only about one in ten right then. And if Misaki knew someone believed in him, then the odds of this time being that one time out of ten should be lower. 

“Alright,” Mr. Shiotsu said, crossing his arms. “If he gets a C or better on a retake then I’ll accept the grade.” Mr. Shiotsu turned to face Misaki. “But if you don’t, then I have to call your parents, and we’ll discuss your options from there.” 

Misaki gulped audibly, and now that Saruhiko was next to him he could see that Misaki was a ghostly shade of pale. 

“Y-yes sir,” Misaki stammered out. 

“Good. Now come take a seat so you can retake this quiz. The rest of you get out.” 

Saruhiko lingered a moment, watching Misaki being ushered over to an empty desk. Misaki looked back at him and their eyes met, and he could see that Misaki was terrified. He smiled and sent Misaki a thumbs up as a sort of “you can do it” gesture, then slowly followed after the others who had been shooed out the door. 

All five of them wanted to wait for Misaki to be done, but they suspected it would take at least until the end of lunch. Reluctantly, they left, heading back to the home ec room to finish their lunches. 

* * *

Misaki only barely finished the quiz in the time he was allowed. By the time he reached the end, his head felt like it was full of cotton, and he was certain that he had gotten the last couple problems wrong. He just hoped Sacchan’s faith in him hadn’t been misplaced. 

Once, back in middle school, Misaki had actually tried to cheat. He’d gotten caught right away, and his mom had been called. And there had been something horrible about seeing his mom apologizing to the teachers, and about the way she hadn’t spoken to him at all on the drive home, and the way she’d cried for fifteen minutes straight once they were safely in the house. It had been enough that he had promised her he would never do it again, and he had kept that promise, only now if he’d messed up that retake then she was going to think he hadn’t. 

Mr. Shiotsu graded the quiz right there in front of him. It was nerve-wracking, and he thought he was going to before his teacher finally put the pen down and looked up at him. 

“Eighteen correct out of twenty-three questions. Congratulations Mr. Yata. It seems we won’t be calling your parents today.” 

Misaki gulped, blinking rapidly as he tried to process what he’d just been told. He’d passed? Really? He hadn’t messed up? He felt like sinking to the floor in relief. Mr. Shiotsu told him to return to class, and he obediently left the room, only to collapse into a heap in front of the vending machines down the hall. 

“Want me to get you something? My treat,” Mikoto offered from right beside him. He started, and looked up to see his friend leaning over him with a worried expression. 

“Why-?” Misaki began, unsure how to finish the question. Why was Mikoto there? Why wasn’t he in class? Why was he offering to buy something for Misaki so suddenly? 

“Shouhei texted me about you getting called to the teachers’ office,” Mikoto said, understanding all the unasked questions. “And it’s not like I was planning on going to class anyway,” he added, straightening up and stuffing his hands in his pockets with a shrug. 

“Oh. I- I think I’m good. Just need a moment to- to-” 

“Take your time,” Mikoto soothed. He waited a moment, then asked, “So, did you pass?” 

Misaki nodded. 

“Congrats.” 

Misaki nodded again as acknowledgment, then began the slow and shaky process of pushing himself back to his feet. 

“Are you going to throw up?” Mikoto asked warily, coming to support him. Misaki shook his head. “Okay. Good. Let’s get you down to the locker rooms. Shouhei also said your class was having PE.” 

Misaki felt pathetic as he leaned on Mikoto and accepted his help getting to the locker room, but he was still shaking too badly to walk on his own. If he was honest, Mr. Shiotsu scared him a little to begin with, and the threat of having his parents called and having his mom be disappointed in him paired with his fear of his teacher had left him downright terrified, even more than he had been on the night Sacchan’s family had moved in and his mom had made him enter the old Henohenomohe place. Mikoto stayed in the locker room with him as he changed, being unusually talkative and chatting about random things just to help Misaki calm down. Only when he was certain Misaki would be okay on his own did Mikoto leave. 

Misaki’s class was outside on the field, and seemed to be having a double lesson with class 2-1. He spotted his friends from his class easily, but kept looking until he found Sacchan sitting on the side, watching everyone else as they played catch or keep-away. He went and joined her there, for once not having the energy to be active. 

“How’d it go?” Sacchan asked as he sat down. 

“Well, thanks to you they won’t be calling my parents.” 

“That’s good. I knew you could do it,” Sacchan said. She leaned back, satisfied. At least one of them was feeling good right then. Misaki sighed heavily and slumped forward, resting his head on his bent knees. 

“Misaki?” Sacchan asked, concerned. She leaned forward, peering at him. “Are you okay?” 

“No. I just had a near-death experience. I’m traumatized,” Misaki moaned. 

“I think you’re being a little dramatic,” Sacchan said drily. “But you know I’ll always be here for you. Whether it’s helping you study or talking down teachers, I’ll always be on your side. That’s what friends are for, right?” 

“I know,” Misaki said miserably to his knees. 

“Do you want me to tell the teacher you’re not feeling well? Or that I’m not feeling well and that you’re gonna help me get to the nurse’s office?” Sacchan offered. Misaki considered it. Anna might be in the nurse’s office. And Anna was usually good at making him feel better. But still, it was probably better if he didn’t. 

“No, I’m good,” he mumbled. He sighed again, and then forced himself to stop acting so gloomy. “So how was the omurice? Did you like it?” 

Sacchan’s whole body spoke of her skepticism towards his sudden change in mood. Danggit Sacchan! Couldn’t she see he needed to let things be? 

“I already told you earlier it was good,” Sacchan said, her eyes averting themselves and the slightest hint of a blush dusting her cheekbones. 

“O-oh right. Y-y-you did,” Misaki stuttered, disarmed by Sacchan’s reaction. Damnit. No Misaki, she already told you she’s gay! “Oh. S-so- so next time, what should I make you? I know you don’t like vegetables much, but is there anything else you can’t eat?” 

“I don’t like fish,” Sacchan admitted. “Or pears.” 

“Okay, you got it! No fish or pears in anything I make for you!” Misaki grinned and was rewarded with a small laugh in return. 

“You really are the sweetest,” Sacchan murmured, then her eyes went wide and her entire face reddened. 

“Wait, what was that?” Misaki asked, certain he’d just misheard. Surely Sacchan hadn’t actually called him sweet. 

“That’s- I- Uhhhh, I think I do need to go to the nurse’s office after all. I gotta go.” Sacchan jumped to her feet and hurried off, stopping only to tell the teacher where she was going. Misaki sighed, hoping his friend wasn’t feeling too poorly, and resigned himself to sitting alone for the rest of class. 

As he watched everyone else having fun while he remained isolated, it reminded him a lot of the days before Mikoto and all his other friends. Back then, he’d been stuck on the sidelines just like this, only to watch, never to participate. He was too loud, too rowdy, too competitive, and no one wanted him around. 

It wasn’t like that now. Mikoto had supported him and Sacchan had promised to always be around for him, and not too far away were other friends he could count on. 

It wasn’t like that now. 

So why did he suddenly feel like he had back then? 

After school, Sacchan seemed the same as normal. When he asked if she was feeling okay, she said that it had just been some light-headedness from too much heat. She seemed fine on the way home, so Misaki took her word for it. 

At home, Misaki couldn’t focus on his homework. He knew he needed to study, that if his grades went back down the teachers would find their temporary rise even more suspicious, but at the same time the fact that they automatically assumed he could only do well by cheating made it seem pointless. Why should he put effort into something when it only backfired on him? 

Misaki barely managed to finish his homework before dinner. It was only thanks to Sacchan, who sternly kept reminding him to stay on task that he finished it at all. 

After eating dinner and helping with chores and seeing Sacchan home, Misaki went online and was immediately bombarded by messages from his guild members. 

_New message from Sanchan: Duuuuude ur girlfriend was so cool today_   
_New message from mybanginbangs: wtf Shiotsu was being such a dick. He’s usually such a cool hr teacher too…_   
_New message from canwekeepit?: At least ur studying is paying off, right?_   
_New message from baseballthug: Sacchan just might b my new hero, omg_   
_New message from firelion: u ok kid?_   
_New message from foodisgood: did something happen today? Everyone’s been talking a bunch…_   
_New message from letsallhavefun: don’t worry, Yatachan. Everything’s gonna turn out alright._   
_New message from Smokinhot: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, espeically when you’re probs already feeling down, but word’s already getting around that you were cheating on a quiz. I’ll do what I can to help it die down, but you might wanna lay low for a while. I know it’s rough, but we’re here for you. Just hang in there, okay?_

Strangely enough, the messages that upset him the most were the ones from Saburouta and Shouhei. Izumo’s was less than pleasing, but he’d been through this all before. He could handle it. But what was harder to handle was the reminders of Sacchan coming rushing in to his rescue. She had looked super cool right then, and heroic. He didn’t think the guys would get what the problem was, though. He opened up a chat with Anna. 

_New chat with LionPrincess:_   
_yatagarasu: hey anna u there_   
_LionPrincess: Yes. What is it Misaki?_   
_yatagarasu: did u already hear about whata hapepend today_   
_LionPrincess: Yes I did. I’m glad you were able to retake the quiz and prove you didn’t cheat._   
_yatagarasu: yeah i huess_   
_LionPrincess: Is there something else wrong?_   
_yatagarasu: kinda_   
_yatagarasu: its about sacchan_   
_LionPrincess: ?_   
_yatagarasu: everyones been saying how cool sacchan looked coming 3 hslp me_   
_yatagarasu: and theyre right_   
_yatagarasu: it was super cool_   
_yatagarasu: but like_   
_yatagarasu: how m i supposed 2 get over someone like that_   
_LionPrincess: It won’t be easy. It’s something that takes time, I’m afraid._   
_LionPrincess: And it will probably take longer if you continue being friends_   
_yatagarasu: but what kinf od friend would i b if i just abadnoned someone cuz i have acrush on them_   
_LionPrincess: I’m not saying that you should abandon Saruhiko. I just meant that you might end up hurting for a long time. There’s nothing you can do about your feelings, Misaki. You just have to wait for them to fade._   
_LionPrincess: But if there’s one thing you can consol yourself with when Saruhiko is being cool and making things harder for you, it’s that you fell for someone who is really worth liking._   
_yatagarasu: yeah feels real great knowing that right about now_

* * *

The morning after Misaki had been accused of cheating, Saruhiko’s class had art with class 2-2. The two classes had had joint classes before, and Saruhiko had managed to make a friend of sorts with a girl who, like him, didn’t seem to socialize much. They were told to draw something outside and released to complete the lesson, and Saruhiko and his acquaintance headed out together, finding a spot under a tree to begin their drawings. As the girl- Douhan- took out her pencil case, Saruhiko couldn’t help but notice it was covered in stickers or shuriken and kunai and katanas. She even had a little ninja keychain hanging off of it. Saruhiko couldn’t keep his mouth shut. 

“You know there’s no such thing as ninjas, right?” he asked. 

“Wow, you’re almost as salty as my online friend,” Douhan said. 

“And you’re almost as deluded as my online friend,” Saruhiko countered. They stared each other down for a moment, not really glaring but not really amicable, before shrugging off the encounter and getting to their drawings. 

Saruhiko was just deciding to draw a leaf that had fallen from the tree above them when two other students approached, a boy and a girl. Saruhiko hadn’t talked to either of them, but he knew the boy from when Misaki had showed him the skate park: the so-called “Black Dog”. 

“Do you mind if we join you?” the black dog asked. 

Saruhiko and Douhan looked at each other and shrugged. 

“Suit yourself,” Saruhiko said. 

The two sat down, and started to get out their art supplies, but the girl leaned over and offered a hand. 

“Sorry we actually haven’t officially met before now, Saruhiko. I’m in the student council too. I’m the treasurer, Kukuri. Thanks for helping out.” 

Saruhiko gingerly accepted the hand. He had no sooner released Kukuri’s hand than the black dog was shoving his hand at Saruhiko as well. 

“Kuroh Yatogami,” he said. “Nice to meet you.” 

“Pleasure,” Saruhiko said, barely managing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. 

Once they’d shaken hands, Saruhiko began to examine the leaf he was going to draw, taking note of the veins and texturing. However, it seemed the new additions to their little group had more to say, as Kuroh cleared his throat. 

“I was going to say something sooner, but I thought that once you’d joined the student council things would get better. But rumors have been going around that you’ve been hanging around Misaki Yata and his friends, and I just thought someone ought to warn you, those reprobates are nothing but trouble. They’re a bunch of ruffians and scoundrels, and nothing good will happen if you associate with them.” 

“Kuroh, stop that!” Kukuri gasped. 

“No he’s right,” Douhan agreed. “I honestly thought I was going to die during the sports festival, after Yata fainted.” 

“Well then you shouldn’t have hugged him,” Kuroh said. 

“I didn’t think they would _all_ retaliate!” Douhan protested. “I thought he would just panic a bit because he’s all weird around girls and that would be the end of it! I didn’t expect him to actually faint. Besides, it’s all your brother’s fault anyway, Kuroh. It was his idea.” 

“And you actually listened to him?” Kuroh scoffed. “Everyone knows that my brother has a twisted sense of humor.” 

“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who thinks that,” Douhan said, rolling her eyes. “Yukari’s cool, unlike you.” 

“How dare-” 

“That’s enough already!” Kukuri said firmly. “Fighting isn’t any good.” 

“My apologies,” Kuroh said as Douhan huffed in annoyance. He turned back to Saruhiko. “My point is, that is not a group you want to be associated with in any way.” 

“Isn’t Neko friends with Anna though?” Douhan asked in an offhand tone. 

“I mostly meant those four seniors and Misaki Yata,” Kuroh retorted shortly. “The rest are certainly troublemakers, but they’re rather harmless overall. And Anna is only a part of that group because Mikoto Suoh is her step-brother. If it weren’t for him, she’d be a perfectly wholesome individual.” 

“Wholesome individual? Who the fuck says that?” Saruhiko muttered to the leaf he was holding. The fingers it was pinched between were clenched so tightly they were white. 

“Kuroh does,” Kukuri said simply, like it was totally normal. 

“Whatever,” Saruhiko said, his voice full of venom. He put the leaf down carefully on the page he’d been planning to draw on and closed his sketchbook on it, saving it for later drawing. He stood up, his sketchbook and pencil case in hand, and turned to face the other three. 

“For your information, Kuroh,” he spat, but extra poison into the other boy’s name, “I don’t ‘associate’ with any of them but Misaki. He is my friend, not Mikoto Suoh, not Anna, not any of the rest of them. Just Misaki.” 

“And I’m trying to warn you that being friends with Misaki Yata will just lead to trouble,” Kuroh said, struggling to keep his voice level and calm. “Earlier this year he spent a month trying to attack me because of something that happened in a game. Luckily my adoptive father, Mr. Miwa, taught me martial arts since I was young so I was able to defend myself- my father has amazing foresight- and it wasn’t a problem, but that is the kind of violent person Misaki Yata is.” 

“Yeah, he picks fights with just about everyone,” Douhan agreed. “I see him in jail in about five years. He’ll probably flunk out of high school, get involved in a gang, and then get arrested after going on a rampage against an opposing gang.” 

“You’re mistaken,” Saruhiko said coldly. “Both of you. I don’t care how long you’ve known him, because clearly you haven’t actually taken time to get to know him. I have. And I know that he’s a good friend, and someone I like having around. And I happen to trust what he says a lot more than I trust any of you, so you can all just fuck off.” Saruhiko turned and stormed off, heading back to the main school building. He supposed this meant he was ditching class but he didn’t care; he had to get away from their accusations. Misaki wasn’t like that. He _wasn’t_. 

Not knowing where else to go, Saruhiko ended up heading to the nurse’s office. It was a bit risky, since he’d ended up heading there yesterday after running from Misaki because he’d been foolish enough to say aloud that he thought Misaki was sweet. Luckily, Misaki had believed he really hadn’t been feeling well- otherwise, he might never have lived that one down. To claim to feel ill again so soon might cause concern, but he was still new to ditching class and he’d rather send the nurse into a panic than get caught by a teacher. 

The nurse’s office was occupied when Saruhiko arrived, but not by the nurse. Instead there were two seniors- one who was very pretty and who Saruhiko was hesitant to gender, and one who was in a wheelchair. 

“Feeling ill?” the pretty one asked. “Or just ditching?” 

“Ditching,” Saruhiko admitted reluctantly, because he couldn’t really see a way around it and it wasn’t like the nurse was there. 

“It seems we are kindred spirits in that,” the guy in the wheelchair said. “Welcome.” 

“You’re Saruhiko, right?” the pretty one said as Saruhiko took a seat on the bed. When Saruhiko’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, he added, “Everyone’s been talking about you. There was the other day when you fainted, and then you joined the student council, and now word’s been going around that you’re tutoring Misaki Yata. Is that last one true?” 

“Yeah, it is,” Saruhiko said evenly. 

“Did you want any help with that?” the guy in the wheelchair asked. 

“No, I think I’ve got it covered,” Saruhiko said. “I’ve been working on making some flash cards for him which should be pretty helpful I think, and-” he cut off as the pretty one began to laugh. 

“What Nagare meant,” they chortled, “was did you want any help getting out of that. There’s not many people in this school that can go up against Mikoto, Izumo, and Tatara. It takes a combination of fighting, spreading rumors, and having the right connections to go against them, and very few people can manage all three. In fact, aside from us, the only other people might be Shiro and my dear little brother Kuroh. Reisi might have before, but recently he’s gone soft towards that lot.” 

“Indeed,” Nagare agreed. “It is exactly as Yukari said just now. I cannot fight, but both Yukari and our friend Sukuna can. Not only that, but we are experts at working with the students of this school to make things inconvenient for that group- or any group that should be a problem- and we are some of the most connected students in the school aside from Yashiro Isana. Between the three of us, we have no less than four teachers that are our parents or relatives. It would be our win in a fight against them.” 

“And what makes you think I want out?” Saruhiko asked flatly. 

“Because Misaki Yata is probably the biggest idiot to ever get into this school,” Yukari said. “Tutoring him is a thankless task. No one would do it unless they were getting paid… or coerced.” 

“And given the types of people Mikoto and his friends are, coercion is more likely,” Nagare said. He had an almost robotic way of speaking that Saruhiko found distasteful. “So what did those guys do to you? Did Mikoto threaten you like he always does? Or perhaps it was Izumo with his blackmail. Or Tatara harassed you until you agreed to do what they asked?” 

“Or none of the above?” Saruhiko replied, rolling his eyes. “Maybe I actually chose to do this on my own? Did either of you ever consider that.” 

“There’s no way that would ever happen, so no, we didn’t,” Yukari scoffed. “If you’re afraid of what those hooligans might do to you for asking for help, don’t worry, we’ll protect you from their wrath. So it’s okay to admit that-” 

“There’s nothing to admit, I really volunteered to do this on my own! Why is it so hard to understand that Misaki is my friend, huh? And what the hell is this? Five minutes ago your brother is telling me that I shouldn’t be friends with Misaki, now here you are trying to scare me away from him? What is your problem?” 

“We’re just trying to look out for you,” Nagare said. “After all, we saw that scene in the hall the other day. And afterward we saw Izumo call you over. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume he was up to his usual antics.” 

“Izumo just needed me to take something to his friend. There wasn’t any blackmail involved, it was literally just him asking me for a favor. And thanking me for quieting everyone up, believe it or not. Besides, he’s been helping me with something.” 

“Oh really?” Yukari asked. “What is he helping you with?” 

“That’s… it’s personal,” Saruhiko mumbled. 

“Thus making it the perfect thing to blackmail you with later on,” Yukari said. And Saruhiko didn’t want to admit it, but he had a point. Maybe he- and even his brother too- was right. Not about Misaki, of course, but the others? Saruhiko had never really liked them. This proved they were no good. 

Throughout the rest of the day, Saruhiko repeatedly had people come up to him and offer him their sympathies or give him advice on how best to deal with Mikoto and his friends. It was tiresome, but it just built up his convictions even more. Misaki’s friends were trouble. Still, he didn’t want to act on just the word of strangers, so he decided to ask Seri for her take on things. She seemed like someone who would give him an honest opinion unbiased by her friendship. Plus, of all the things that he’d been told today, the thing that bothered him most was Izumo. Mikoto threatening people was easy to picture, and Tatara harassing people didn’t really matter to Saruhiko. But Saruhiko had, admittedly, placed some faith in Izumo. He’d trusted him, and now… if Izumo was really a blackmailer, then it changed a lot of things. What if Izumo had lied about Misaki’s misunderstanding in order to keep Saruhiko’s hopes up so he could continue to string him along, for instance? If Seri vouched for Izumo, then Saruhiko would be able to let things rest. But if she didn’t… 

If she didn’t, then he was going to have to find a way to convince Misaki to stay away from those guys. 

At lunchtime, he found the opportunity to talk to Seri. The other officers had all gone out to patrol the school and keep an eye out for trouble, leaving Saruhiko, Seri, and Reisi. When Reisi was called out of the room by a timid-looking girl who asked if she could talk to him, Saruhiko took the chance. 

“You’ve been friends with Izumo since childhood, right?” he asked Seri. 

“At first it was more like we were stuck together than being friends, but I suppose you are right,” Seri said. 

“Then, as someone who has known him for so long, what kind of person would you say he is?” Saruhiko asked. 

“Hmmm… I’d have to say… enigmatic. Even if I’ve known him a long time, it’s still hard to be certain what exactly he’s thinking since he always puts on a facade of general amusement. Then there’s the fact that I’ve never been able to figure out whether he’s a nice guy who gets involved in shady things, or an unsavory character who happens to have a good heart. Therefore, he is enigmatic.” 

That answer seemed like it was confirming what he’d heard before, but he had to be certain. 

“Then would Izumo ever blackmail a person or anything like that?” 

“Would he ever?” Seri laughed. “Please. When we were in kindergarten he told me that unless I threw away my snacks for a week, he would kiss the girl I had a crush on. It was quite a difficult decision for a five-year-old. There have been other instances too. He seems to have a strange obsession with preventing me from enjoying my anko in particular… Why, has he been trying to get something out of you?” 

“No, he hasn’t,” Saruhiko said, keeping the “yet” he wanted to add confined to his thoughts. “I just heard some things and was curious. Trusting rumors without evidence is a good way to look like a fool.” 

“Indeed,” Seri agreed. 

Saruhiko let the conversation end there, but inside he was in turmoil. So Izumo really was just what Nagare had said. Which meant it was time for Saruhiko to take action on Misaki’s behalf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's family connections:  
> Kuroh and Yukari were both adopted by Mr. Miwa.  
> Nagare was adopted by Mr. Ootori and Mr. Iwafune.  
> Mr. Kotosaka is Sukuna's older cousin and guardian.  
> Shiro's grandfather is the school chairman, Daikaku Kokujouji.  
> Reisi's uncle is Mr. Habari.  
> Basically, teachers who work at K academy can get their relatives a free ride if they pass the entrance exam for the school, so a lot of them enroll their kids/nieces/nephews/etc.


	9. Chapter 9

Misaki definitely appreciated Izumo’s warning, because it allowed him to brace himself for the whispers that followed him the day after his retake. He resisted the impulse to turn towards them and demand that they say whatever they had to say to his face, knowing that making a scene would only make things worse. His friends, the ones in his class, tried to cover for him by sticking close to him, but when he could he’d try to be by himself. If he hid behind others it would seem like he was afraid. He wasn’t. He hadn’t done anything wrong. So he would ignore the whispers and ignore the eyes that warily followed him and ignore the jerk who came right up to him to call him “low-down human trash.” And he would put even more effort into studying from now on so that when the next exams came around he could show them all by getting better scores than a lot of them. Or at least by not being the lowest score in their grade. 

By lunch however, Misaki was exhausted. Ignoring people took a surprising amount of effort. It was so much easier to just confront them. He could go, face the problem head on, and be done with it. But then there would be more problems overall, and he’d probably get suspended, if not expelled. Too many fights were not good on one’s school record. 

Given the state of things, Misaki was all too happy to just sit back and relax with his friends. As soon as he arrived at their spot, he collapsed to the ground and lay back, hands behind his head, content to just lie there for bit. Unfortunately, his peaceful moment wasn’t meant to be. 

“So I’ve been thinking,” Tatara announced, and nothing good is ever announced in a sentence that starts like that. “I’ve been thinking that maybe I’m gonna stop playing Color Kings.” 

Misaki sat bolt upright, shocked. 

“What? Tatara, you can’t-” 

“Shh, let’s hear him out,” Izumo said, silencing him. 

“Mm, well, I haven’t been all that interested in playing recently? Like, you may have noticed I wasn’t in the top 20 this time, in fact, I was nowhere near the top 20,” Tatara explained. “And there’s other things I’d like to be doing with my time too. Like I kinda want to get back into film photography, and then I’ve also been thinking about joining the shogi club, and I really only go online to talk to you guys anymore.” 

“Well, it’s your decision in the end,” Izumo said. 

“But it won’t be the same without you there!” Rikio complained. 

“Yeah!” Misaki agreed. “Half the fun is having everybody there! If you’re not there-” 

“Y’know, your argument might be a bit more convincing if, say, you didn’t spend most of your time online talking to certain other friends of yours?” Izumo said, resting his chin on the back of his hand. “Friends who aren’t even in our guild? Who you don’t know in real life? Who probably wear glasses if their username is anything to go by? Ringing any bells?” 

“Th-that’s got nothing to do with this!” Misaki protested, his voice almost an octave too high. 

“All I’m saying is why does it matter to you if he still plays or not when you don’t spend much time online with members of our guild? If he stops playing it hardly makes a difference to you.” 

Izumo was right and Misaki knew it. He didn’t have a right to stop Tatara from leaving. But that didn’t make him any less opposed to the idea, it only made him feel guilty. 

“Well I don’t have a problem with it,” Mikoto said, unwrapping the second of the pork buns he’d gotten for lunch. “I’ve actually been thinking about quitting too.” 

“What?!” Misaki and Rikio yelped simultaneously. Both of them leaned in towards Mikoto, and Misaki had to brace himself on his hands to stay upright. 

“Well, I was originally planning on getting a job or two once I graduate, and so I wouldn’t really have time to play games when I’m trying to be an adult and all,” Mikoto said slowly, tearing off little pieces of his pork bun. “But now, after seeing how hard Yatachan’s been studying and all, I’m thinking maybe it’s not impossible for me to take exams after all, and then I could go to college after all. And I’ve got some reasons that I might wanna do that, but if I’m gonna, since I’m starting kinda late I’ve gotta hit the books as much as I can, and there’s no way I can play games if I’m doing that.” 

“B-b-bu-but-” Misaki began, not sure where to take his protest. 

“But you’re our guild leader!” Rikio cried. 

“Exactly!” Misaki said, glad to have someone to be on board with. He thought about hugging Rikio but decided against it. Until he finished losing weight for the summer, he was all sweaty and gross, and Misaki didn’t really want someone else’s sweat on him. Especially not Rikio’s. 

“Well, I was thinking I could pass on the torch,” Mikoto said, putting down his bun entirely. “Anna’s been doing pretty well in the rankings and all, so I was thinking she could do it. Unless one of you guys has a problem that is.” 

“I’m sure Anna would be a great guild leader and all but-” Rikio began. 

“But like he said, you’re our guild leader!” Misaki interrupted. 

“I meant any problems other than me leaving in the first place,” Mikoto said drily. “I figured I’d ask you guys since you’re our top players, and so no one would object to any of you leading instead.” 

“Or you could just not leave,” Misaki mumbled sulkily. 

“I’m okay with Anna taking charge,” Izumo said. “I don’t want it because it seems like a bother, and if it’s any of these guys I think we’d be in trouble.” 

“Hey!” Misaki and Rikio complained. 

“Now, now, Izumo, be nice to the children,” Tatara said. “Just because they wouldn’t be good leaders doesn’t mean you can hurt their feelings.” 

“Tatara, you’d be the worst leader of all of us,” Izumo said. 

“Yeah, definitely,” Mikoto agreed. 

“Ouch,” Tatara laughed, not the least bit offended. 

“So that’s one down,” Mikoto said, then looked expectantly at Misaki and Rikio. 

“I’d really rather you didn’t go, Mikoto,” Rikio said. “We’ll probably lose a lot of players if you do.” 

“If they leave just because our strongest player is gone, then I think we’re better off without them,” Misaki muttered. “I don’t like it either, but if it’s Anna taking over, then… then I guess it’ll be… okay. But I don’t want you guys to stop playing!” 

“I’ll stick around through the summer break at least,” Mikoto promised. “But I’m still gonna announce this to the rest once I’ve talked to Anna. I’ll probably have her take over before I stop playing, just to make sure it works okay. So, Rikio, you’re the last one. Any objections to Anna being the guild leader?” 

“No,” Rikio sighed. 

“Good,” Mikoto said. As he and the others returned to their lunches, Misaki picked up the abandoned curry buns he’d gotten for himself and began to eat as well. 

The day could not end soon enough for Misaki. He just wanted it to be over, so he could go home with Sacchan and then… what? Study? He wasn’t looking forward to that by any means. Play games? But after the conversation they’d just had, that didn’t sound so fun anymore. All there really was left was talking to his online friend, and he felt guilty about that now that Izumo had pointed out he’d been neglecting his other friends in favor of glasses4lyfe. And when he thought about it, tomorrow would just be more of the same, and the day after, and damnit, he was just a simple guy who liked to skateboard and play games and had a crush on his neighbor, so when the hell did everything suddenly get so complicated on him? 

By the time school let out, Misaki felt completely and utterly done. He thought about texting Sacchan that he was going on ahead and just running all the way home to let some of his stress out, but he chose not to. Even if Sacchan was one of the elements making things more complicated, he still liked spending time with her. He smiled as she greeted him, and they set off together. 

They walked about two blocks, far enough that the crowds of students leaving the school had dispersed and there was some distance between them and the next closest students, and then all hell broke loose. 

It started like this: they were walking along, and Misaki was just thinking how nice it would be to change out of his uniform once he got home, when Sacchan said, “So, about your friends…” 

If “I’ve been thinking” was a sentence starter that never went anywhere good, then the one Sacchan had just used was a sentence starter that only went to all the worst places. 

“What about them?” Misaki said, his voice guarded as he automatically went on the defensive. 

“Just… I’ve been hearing some things recently. Some not-so-good things. Things that are really pretty bad. And I think it’d be better for you if you stayed away from them.” 

“Oh yeah?” Misaki asked, keeping his tone light before letting an edge of threat creep into his voice as he added, “What sorts of things?” 

“That your friends are the kinds of people who will force people to do what they want. Like Tatara harassing people. And Izumo blackmailing them. And Mikoto threatening them and beating them up. They’re dangerous Misaki, and you should be careful with them.” 

“And what did those people say about me?” Misaki asked. “That I’m violent, right? Or maybe that I pick fights a lot, which I guess is basically the same thing. That’s what they said, isn’t it?” 

“That’s not the point here, Misaki, and besides, I know you’re not like that! But your friends are, okay? I already confirmed it myself!” 

“Well I hate to break it to you, Smartypants, but those rumors are just as right about me as they are about my friends.” Misaki stepped around Sacchan, stopping her in her tracks while he snarled directly into her face. “I _am_ hot-tempered and aggressive and all that stuff, and I _do_ get into fights, and a lot of times I’m the one who hits first. And you know why that is? Because I don’t tolerate anyone, and I mean _anyone_ , talking shit about my friends. And for your information, Saruhiko, they’re the same. They won’t hurt anybody unless that person hurts their friends. You said Mikoto threatens people? People feel threatened if he so much as breathes. He only beats people up when he has to, too. And Izumo? If he blackmailed everyone he knew the secrets of, everyone from the smallest first-year to fucking Chairman Kokujouji would have to pay up. But he doesn’t do that, because he’s not like that! He only threatens to spill a person’s secrets when that’s what it takes to protect one of us! And I don’t even know where the fuck you got the idea that Tatara harasses people, since every time someone is mean to him he goes and fucking befriends them! So I don’t know who you were talking to, but they’re _wrong_ , just like _you’re_ wrong!” 

The few other students on the street were hurrying away. In the direction they’d come from, a couple students even turned around and backtracked rather than keep heading towards Misaki and Sacchan’s argument, which was turning into a public screaming match. 

Sacchan had taken a step back as Misaki shouted, but her jaw was set and her eyes had gone steely and he knew she was going to shout back at him even before her mouth opened. 

“Well _excuse_ me for being concerned for your sorry ass!” she yelled back at him. “Pardon me for actually caring about you enough to be worried when I hear that your friends are a bunch of assholes! I forgot I was talking to the great Misaki Yata, who has to be the one to take care of everybody else! Can’t have anyone taking care of him instead, noooo.” 

“My friends are _not_ assholes!” Misaki spat back. “They’re the ones who always take care of me! But you wouldn’t know that, since you don’t want to take the time to get to know people! Only if they’re _useful_ , right? How dare you talk about my friends that way, when you’re the one who is always calculating a person’s worth based on whether or not you can use them!” 

“If I cared that much about whether or not I can use people, then I certainly wouldn’t be hanging out with you!” Sacchan shouted back. Misaki felt the blood drain from his face. He wavered a moment, remembering a similar statement someone had once said to him: “Who would want to hang out with you?” He felt smaller than he was, and he didn’t like it. So he reacted as he always did to things he didn’t like: he exploded. 

“Yeah, well who wants you around anyway? no one wants to deal with you and your rotten personality!” 

Sacchan’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. 

“My personality’s rotten?” she hissed. “What about you, hating everyone because ‘oh, they’re annoying,’?” Sacchan did an exaggerated falsetto to imitate his voice, and he ground his teeth and clenched his fists, using all his self-control to restrain himself from punching her. Just because his stupid name everyone always had to treat him like a girl, even girls themselves. It was nauseating. She continued in her normal voice, “You’re the one who’s annoying! Always shouting, always making a big deal about nothing, always so fucking dramatic! You’re just a dumbass who has to act tough to feel good about himself, and no one likes you for it so you pretend that you’re the one who doesn’t like them instead!” 

Sacchan stepped around him, trying to walk away, but there was no way in hell she was walking off after that one. It was like she’d discovered all his insecurities and was throwing them in his face. But he wasn’t the same as he used to be, and now he could, and would, fight back. He jogged to catch up with her and stepped in front of her again. She tried to step around him, but he blocked her. 

“And you think you’re so likable?” he asked, trying to ignore the tears that were rolling down his face despite his best efforts to keep them in. He was different now, damnit! He wasn’t a helpless crybaby! “Then how come you don’t have any friends of your own, huh? How come you always end up doing things on your own? Isn’t that because no one likes someone like you who just looks down on everyone else? Just because you’re smart and pretty you think everyone should worship you and then you get mad when they don’t! It’s no wonder no one likes you, not even your parents!” 

Misaki knew he was pushing it with that one, but he wanted Sacchan to hurt just like he did right then. He watched as Sacchan’s jaw dropped, then snapped upwards for her to shout: “Yeah well at least I’m not guaranteed to be a disappointment to my parents, unlike you. You’re nothing but a failure!” 

“You take that back,” Misaki said, his voice lowering to a rumble. It then came out again as a scream that tore his throat, “YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU BITCH!” 

“What, did I strike a nerve there, dick?” Sacchan goaded. 

“Yeah, you did,” Misaki snapped back. “Guess you must feel _so proud_ , shitstain.” 

“Well maybe I am, asshole!” 

“Good for you, you- you- pancake chest!” 

As soon as he said it, Misaki regretted it. The parents comment had already gone too far, and now he was taking it even farther by mentioning the biggest insecurity of all girls ever? Or at least, he was pretty sure that was something girls would be insecure about. After all, Izumo had told him before that you should never bring up a girl’s chest. 

And if the rest of their argument was anything to go by, then he could count on Sacchan to give back as good as she’d got. He braced himself, expecting to be told his height wasn’t the only thing small about him or some other baseless accusation that would be an appropriate way to retaliate, but what he was not expecting was Sacchan’s mocking laughter. 

“Pancake chest?” she sneered. “What the hell kind of an insult is that?” 

“S-sorry,” Misaki stammered, his anger suddenly dissipating in the face of his terrible mistake. “I-I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry. I’m sure they’ll grow more, I just-” 

“You’re sure what will grow more?” Sacchan asked, a look of bafflement replacing her sneer. 

“That’s um-” Misaki mumbled, not wanting to say it. “J-just, I know that’s a really sensitive subject for girls, and-” 

“I really have no idea what the hell you’re talking about,” Sacchan said irritably. “What does a sensitive subject for girls have anything to do with this?” 

“Uh, because you’re a girl?” Misaki said, growing more and more confused by the second. Sacchan’s reaction was not at all what he’d expected. 

Sacchan gaped at him, and blinked slowly a few times before closing her mouth and saying carefully, “Misaki, I wear a guy’s uniform.” 

“Yeah, and?” Misaki asked. “There’s no rules against it. Other girls do too. As long as you’re in a school uniform it doesn’t matter. Which was really annoying before when some guys tried to steal my uniform while I was in PE and replace it with a girl’s one…” 

Sacchan closed her eyes and took a deep breath with exaggerated patience. She put her hands together, palm against palm and raised them to her face as she did so, then lowered them to point them towards him. 

“I have a guy’s name,” she said when her eyes opened again. 

“And I have a really girly name, so what? Your parents just had an even shittier naming sense than mine did.” 

“Oh my fucking god!” Sacchan burst out, her hands separating so she could throw them in the air. “Misaki, I’m a _guy_! I have a dick, I don’t wear bras, I pee standing up- where the hell did you get the idea that I’m a girl?” 

Misaki blinked, then whacked the side of his head a few times, trying to make sure nothing was clogging his ears. Nothing came out, but there must be some sort of blockage or something, because he could almost swear Sacchan had just said she was a guy. 

“I- what?” he asked. “Did you just say you’re… But you’re a girl? Like definitely?” 

“Nope,” Sacchan said in exasperation. “Guy.” 

“Noooo?” Misaki said, still not believing what he was hearing. “You can’t be a guy? Guys aren’t as pretty as you are?” 

“For fuck’s sake, do I have to strip for you to get it? I’m a guy. I was born a guy. I’ve been a guy my whole life. I. Am. A. _Guy_.” 

“Wait, seriously?” Misaki asked, still not really believing this, but then again, why would Sacchan lie about such a thing? 

“Yes, seriously, you dimwit. Now will you fucking move already?” 

“But-” Misaki argued. 

“I said MOVE!” Sacchan snapped, and Misaki felt his legs sidestep obediently. “Fucking christ,” Sacchan muttered as she walked past. “Unbelievable, thought I was a fucking girl…” 

Misaki stood, rooted to the spot. He kept trying to understand what had just happened but- 

But Sacchan couldn’t possibly be a guy. 

But Sacchan insisted she was a guy. 

But how could she be a guy?!? 

But he actually believed she was a guy? 

What the hell? What the actual fucking hell? How had he never even noticed? _Him_ , Misaki Yata, the guy who had been mistaken for a girl more times than he could count, who had always been teased about his girly name, who couldn’t escape the comments of “I thought you were a girl,” or “You can’t be Misaki Yata, you’re a guy.” He had made the same mistake that so infuriated him when others did it. What a fucking hypocrite. 

Misaki wasn’t sure how long he remained completely frozen, utterly overwhelmed by this sudden discovery, but when he finally came to his senses he knew only one thing: he needed to get home. Now. As fast as he could. Before he completely broke down where anyone could see him. 

His feet were already moving, breaking into a run. He was barely aware of things as he raced for home, just of the need to keep going as fast as he could. As he rounded the last corner, he broke into a sprint, whipping past Sacchan a few houses from his own and then flying up his front walk, wrenching open the door and slamming it a second later as he threw himself inside. He let his backpack fall as he ran straight to his room, not even bothering to take off his shoes. His mom would be pissed, but so what? She’d have to get in line since he’d already pissed Sacchan off. Misaki reached the safety of his room and threw himself onto his bed, shoes and all, so that he could finally cry. 

* * *

The tears had just about stopped when Misaki’s mother came to find him. She didn’t say anything at all when she walked in and found him curled up into a ball on his bed, his face a snotty, tear-stained mess and his shoes still on. She just set his backpack down in the doorway and walked over to him and began pulling off his shoes for him. Once they were off, she sat down beside him, the shoes in her left hand while her right reached out to rest on his shoulder. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“For what?” she asked. 

“Shoes.” 

Misaki sniffed, and his mom reached over to the end table by his bed to grab some tissues from the box there. She wiped gently at his face with them until he took over. Once he’d blown his nose, she said, “I think we can let it slide, just this once.” She began stroking his hair, trying to soothe him. 

“Sorry,” he said again, not sure what else to say. It was a word he’d rarely used in the past, but now he seemed to be using it a lot these past two weeks. 

“Misaki-chan, you don’t need to apologize to me for anything.” Only Misaki’s mom could ever get away with calling him “Misaki-chan”. She used it sparingly, saving it only for the times she wanted to show she really cared about him and remind him that no matter what, he was still her baby, even if he was now the eldest of three and a less-than-satisfactory son. 

“But I always disappoint you,” Misaki whined. “I’m a bad son.” 

The stroking stopped, and his mom’s voice was a little angry as she asked “How are you a bad son?” 

“Because I always get into fights,” Misaki wailed. “And I’m stupid and on the verge of being held back and I’m gay and I’m hot-tempered and I always shout a lot and- and-” he broke off with a sob, and began to shake as he tried to keep from hyperventilating. 

Misaki’s mom sighed and then bent over, and there was a dull thump as she put down his shoes. She then straightened up just enough to lie down beside him, pulling him close into a mom-hug. 

“While it’s definitely not good when you get into fights, and I would like it if you did shout a bit less, that doesn’t make you a bad son. And you’re not stupid, and being gay is completely irrelevant to how good or bad you are.” 

“But-” Misaki hiccoughed, trying to protest. 

“Shush,” his mother said firmly. “I am your mother and I have known you all your life. I was already getting to know you before you were born. Are you loud? Yes. Rambunctious? Very. A bad kid? Not at all. Maybe you’re not the seemingly perfect child that I could go brag about to all the other moms, but so what? You’re still my son, and I am proud of you. How could I be disappointed by a boy who always tries his hardest to do what’s right?” 

“But I- but I al-way-s-s mes-s up,” Misaki sniffled, his breath coming in gasps. 

“And that’s when you make me the most proud, because you will do everything you can to fix your mistakes. Not everyone can do that, Misaki. It makes you someone who can be trusted and relied upon, and I’d rather have a son like that than a son who never gets into trouble but can’t face his own problems. You’re not perfect, but you don’t have to be. I love you because you’re _you_ , not because of who I think you should be.” 

Misaki wanted to thank his mom, but he was too choked up, so instead he rolled over and hugged her back. He supposed it was a little embarrassing, to be turning 17 in just a couple months yet here he was snuggling up to his mom like a little kid. But just for that moment, he wanted to be a little kid. He wanted to be five years old with a scraped knee from falling off his bike or two and crying because he’d had a bad dream or seven and trying to listen to his mother’s stomach to see if he could hear his future baby brother talking (it had been quite distressing to the child Misaki to learn that babies could not, in fact, talk). 

After a while, Misaki’s mom asked, “So are you upset because you had a fight with Sacchan?” 

Aw shit. He’d forgotten all about their original fight in light of the fact that he’d mistaken Sacchan- Saruhiko- for a girl. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “But also… I thought he was a girl until now.” 

Misaki’s mother, to her credit, almost managed to contain her laughter. She laughed just once before stifling the rest, then took a deep breath to make sure no more escaped. Misaki felt miserable being laughed at, but he supposed he would too if he were in her shoes. 

“Oh Misaki-chan,” his mom breathed. “You really thought that?” 

Misaki nodded. 

“Oh sweetheart, no. He’s a boy, same as you.” 

“I get that now, but he’s already really mad at me about it!” Misaki whined into his mom’s shirt. 

“Shh, shh,” she soothed. “It’ll be okay. He’ll get over it, and someday you two will laugh about it.” 

“But we got into a really bad fight today! And I said some really mean things to him! And-” “And now you’re going to give him some time to cool off, and tomorrow you’re going to apologize. He might not forgive you right away, but I think he will sooner than later, because you two are friends. He likes being around you, I can tell.” 

“Maybe…” Misaki sighed. “I just can’t believe I was so stupid.” 

“Well if it makes you feel any better, when your father and I first met, he thought I was a boy.” 

“As in-” 

“Your birth father? Yes. So you can just blame your mistake on him. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” 

“Do you think he’d be proud of me too?” Misaki asked in a small voice. 

“He had damn well better be,” Misaki’s mom said. His eyes widened to hear his mom swear, and she laughed and ruffled his hair. She smiled fondly at him for a moment, then sat up with a sigh. “Unfortunately, there’s a few things I need to get for dinner, so I need to head out for a bit. Will you be okay?” 

“Yeah,” Misaki said, sitting up as well. “I should start on my homework anyway. It’ll probably take me longer since I won’t have any help.” 

“If you’re still not done by dinner, I’ll try and help once I’ve finished the dishes. Though I don’t know how much use I’ll be, since I wasn’t ever much good at that stuff myself and it has been a while so I might be more lost than you are.” 

“Thanks mom.” 

Misaki’s mom reached down for his shoes and then got up and left. He too stood up, and stretched before going to grab his backpack and getting out his homework. It was going to be a long afternoon. 

Luckily for Misaki, there wasn’t much homework that day, and so he did manage to finish before dinner, but just barely. His mom offered to let him off dish-drying duty for once, but he still ended up doing it, partly out of habit and partly because he wanted to be the reliable son she’d claimed he was. After the dishes were done, his mom took a plate over to Sac- Saruhiko’s house, and Misaki pretended not to notice. Like always, he headed to the computer and went online. 

Not surprisingly, the guild forums were full of people freaking out over Mikoto’s announcement that he was going to stop playing soon. Misaki opened up the chat with just the core members- him and all the others in their friend group- and ignored all the shock from the guys who hadn’t been around at lunch. He still needed some help processing that Saruhiko was a guy, and his friends were the people he always turned to at such times. 

_yatagarasu: so i gues im even dumber than we all thought cuz i thought saccahn was a girl this wole time_   
_Smokinhot: You’ve gotta be kidding me_   
_Sanchan: lol what r u talking about Sacchan is a girl_   
_canwekeepit?: wait u mean she’d not?_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: wait what_   
_LionPrincess: …_   
_Thehot1: is anyone else confused rn?_   
_mybanginbangs: more like who isn’t confused rn_   
_letsallhavefun: oh dear_   
_foodisgood: show of hands, who thought Sacchan was a girl and who didn’t?_   
_foodisgood: girl_   
_baseballthug: girl_   
_Sanchan: Girl_   
_mybanginbangs: girl_   
_Thehot1: GIRL_   
_Smokinhot: Boy_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: Girl_   
_canwekeepit?: … girl_   
_LionPrincess: Boy._   
_firelion: I mean, I thought he was a girl but then someone told me he was a guy_   
_yatagarasu: mikoto!_   
_yatagarasu: y didnt u tell me_   
_firelion: no comment_   
_Smokinhot: Meaning he totally thought it would be funny to see you find out_   
_firelion: i mean, ur not wrong_   
_letsallhavefun: I also thought he was a girl at first_   
_letsallhavefun: but then he was using the urinal and so it became pretty obvious I was wrong_   
_Thehot1: that’s… traumatic_   
_mybanginbangs: Yoh, u better not b trans-shaming. I will cut u._   
_Thehot1: i didn’t mean it that way!_   
_canwekeepit?: but it sure sounded that way_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: yeah, not cool man_   
_Sanchan: not cool_   
_Smokinhot: I really don’t get how all you guys thought he was a girl at first? He’s obvs a guy?_   
_LionPrincess: I was beginning to think I only knew the truth from the start because I saw his medical profile._   
_baseballthug: must b nice 2 b a health aide…_   
_Sanchan: ugh I just realized something_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: What?_   
_Smokinhot: What?_   
_canwekeepit?: what?_   
_Sanchan: Because we all thought Sacchan was a girl too we can’t even make fun of him for this_   
_mybanginbangs: shit u rite_   
_Thehot1: fuq!_   
_yatagarasu: i hate u guys_   
_foodisgood: but wait, if Sacchan’s a guy, does that mean ur not bi after all?_   
_ButIlikemyfedora: …_   
_baseballthug: …_   
_letsallhavefun: good question_   
_firelion: i’m thinking no_   
_Thehot1: holy shit mind blown_   
_Thehot1: like I was mind blown last week when he had a crush on a girl_   
_canwekeepit?: but if he had a crush on someone thinking they’re a girl, isn’t that still bi?_   
_Thehot1: but now that its really a guy just wow_   
_canwekeepit?: or maybe pan since he liked her regardless of gender?_   
_yatagarasu: um does it make a difference if I say I might find her a bit hotter knowing she’s a guy?_   
_mybanginbangs: dude, u r messed up_   
_yatagarasu: fuck u eric_

Misaki sighed and left the forum. For once, his friends weren’t being very helpful. Most of them had thought Sacchan was a girl too, which made him feel a little better, but it just made it more confusing that she- he- was a guy. At least he still had one other friend he could turn to. 

* * *

Saruhiko was absolutely livid. How the hell could anyone mistake him for a girl? Wasn’t it obvious that he was a guy? 

And worst of all, he’d been mistaken as a girl by the guy he liked. Of all people, it just had to be him. 

Saruhiko fumed the whole way home, his thoughts stuck on repeat: _He thought I was a girl. He thought I was a GIRL! He thought_ I _was a_ girl _!_ , and other variations thereof. They only stopped when, a few houses before he got home, Misaki blitzed past him and tore up to his house. 

_Yeah, you’d better run, you goddamn trainwreck!_ Saruhiko thought angrily. But he didn’t mean it. Yes, he was furious with Misaki, for going off at him the way he had, for the things he’d said during the fight- far too many of which were true, and for mistaking him for a girl. But mostly he was just hurt. The one person he wanted to impress, and he’d managed to ruin their entire friendship instead. 

Saruhiko almost turned up the front walk to Misaki’s house out of habit- if he hadn’t seen Misaki racing inside just moments before, he might have actually gone there. Returning to his own house was strange. Almost every day he’d gone to school so far, he had come home with Misaki and gone to his house instead. In fact, he’d spent almost as many waking hours at Misaki’s house than his own. It felt more like home to him than the house he lived in, and to enter that empty house that was “home” but wasn’t actually _home_ was a bit painful. He missed hearing that shout of “I’m home” that usually signalled the end of the after-school walk. It made the house he was in seem all the more lonely, and for the first time, he could understand why Misaki was so convinced it was haunted. 

By habit, Saruhiko began his homework right away. When he finished it in less than half the time it surely would have taken had he done it at Misaki’s place, he slammed down his pencil with a crow of “Ha!” He felt foolish immediately after he did it though. And gloomy. Doing homework really was more fun with Misaki around. He was also thirsty. Between Misaki and his mom, Saruhiko always had plenty to drink while doing homework. Here there was no one who cared enough to make sure he was staying hydrated. 

After getting a glass of water from the kitchen sink, Saruhiko ended up playing video games. He felt restless and bored, but what else was he supposed to do? 

Saruhiko lapsed into a daze of digital monotony, following his character’s movements on the TV screen without being aware of the passage of time until his stomach growled, alerting him to the fact that it was getting late. He found a save point and then turned off his game and headed for the kitchen, not sure if they even had anything edible in the house. If he couldn’t find a TV dinner or anything like that, he’d have to go to the convenience store for dinner. Which was fine and all, except the convenience store was on the way to the skate park, and what if he ran into Misaki? Even if he didn’t, he was sure to spend too much time thinking about the last time he’d passed that way… 

The doorbell rang, and when Saruhiko answered it he found Mrs. Yata holding a plate of food. His stomach rumbled at the very sight of it. 

“I thought I’d see if you needed dinner,” she said warmly. “And I thought it might be a good idea to check on you, since you didn’t come over.” 

“I’m fine,” Saruhiko mumbled, not sure why her reminder that he usually went home with Misaki made him feel uncomfortably guilty. “Thanks for bringing over something to eat though.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Mrs. Yata said, and handed over the plate. She took him at his word that he was fine, and turned to go, but he found himself asking, “Did you teach him to cook?” He felt his face lighting up like a neon sign from his question. 

“A little,” Mrs. Yata admitted. “He learned some at school, but I also taught him a few recipes to make sure that he won’t starve or convert to a fast food diet when he eventually goes out on his own. Why do you ask though?” 

“He made omurice. Yesterday. For class. It was good.” 

“I’m glad you liked it. I’m sure he was too.” 

“He put pineapple in,” Saruhiko said, wishing he’d never opened his mouth. 

“He does like pineapple, that boy,” Mrs. Yata laughed, shaking her head. “Anyway, enjoy your food.” 

As Saruhiko closed the door, he tried not to curse himself. He was an intelligent guy, so why didn’t he act like one, danggit! 

The dinner Mrs. Yata had brought over was delicious. He’d have to thank her properly for it when he brought the dishes back. He was just about finished when his PDA dinged at him. 

_IzumoKusanagi: So in case you haven’t figure it out, Yatachan’s a bit dense about feelings and stuff so whenever he gets overwhelmed he turns to the rest of us to help him out_

Saruhiko thought about not answering. After all, this was the blackmailer he was talking to. And who knew what Misaki had told him about their fight that afternoon. He still found himself typing out a reply. 

_SaruhikoFushimi: y r u telling me this?_   
_IzumoKusanagi: Just some context for when I tell you I swear I had no idea he thought you were a girl_   
_IzumoKusanagi: I never thought he’d be that much of an idiot_   
_IzumoKusanagi: If I’d have known I would have set him straight, I swear_   
_SaruhikoFushimi: thanks I guess. Doesn’t change the fact that he still made that mistake tho_

Izumo didn’t text anything further, and Saruhiko assumed he’d gotten the idea that it was best to let the subject drop. Probably because Misaki had also told him that Saruhiko knew he was a blackmailer. With a sigh, Saruhiko shoved his PDA back into his pocket and finished his dinner, then took the plate to the kitchen sink and found some dish soap to drizzle on it and a washcloth to scrub it with. Once he’d washed his dishes, he headed upstairs to his computer and went online. He went straight to a dungeon, but before he could even begin the chat window with yatagarasu popped up. 

yatagarasu. The one person he had left. He hesitated a moment, wondering if he should agree to meet up because of that. But no, he definitely couldn’t afford to lose this cherished friendship now when everything else was so messed up. 

_yatagarasu: hey_   
_glasses4lyfe: hey_   
_glasses4lyfe: how r u?_   
_glasses4lyfe: dont ask me how i m btw_   
_glasses4lyfe: i just had the shittiest day ever_   
_yatagarasu: me 2_   
_glasses4lyfe: u ok?_   
_yatagarasu: not really_   
_yatagarasu: had a huge fight w/ my crush_   
_yatagarasu: really huge_   
_yatagarasu: like we ended up shouting at each other in the middle of the street_   
_yatagarasu: and i said some pretty terrible things_   
_glasses4lyfe: that sounds alarmingly close to my day_   
_yatagarasu: sorry man_   
_yatagarasu: well at least u didnt find out that ur a dumbass who thought ur crush was a girl when he was really a guy all along right_

Saruhiko shoved himself back from the desk, feeling like he’d been burned. yatagarasu’s crush was actually a guy? 

His crush who was his neighbor. His new neighbor. The one who had moved in the same day Saruhiko’s family had moved into their house. 

yatagarasu. Misaki Yata. 

It couldn’t be. 

Could it? 

_yatagarasu: ugh i just feel so shitty right now_   
_yatagarasu: like i completely didnt even realize this guy was a girl ecen though i was crushing on him_   
_yatagarasu: im the worst arent i_   
_yatagarasu: plus like i said some of the things i said in our fight were really mean_   
_yatagarasu: and uncalled for_   
_yatagarasu: ..._   
_yatagarasu: u still there_   
_glasses4lyfe: brb_

Now that he thought about it, there were just too many similarities in their day-to-day lives to be mere coincidence. yatagarasu always did the same kinds of things with his crush that Saruhiko did with Misaki. And whenever Saruhiko fought with Misaki, yatagarasu was always miserable about a fight with his crush too. 

How had he not noticed it sooner? 

Still, he had to be sure. And that was what had Saruhiko running outside and heading next door. 

* * *

Misaki stared bleakly at the last message in the chat log and sighed heavily. He wasn’t sure what kind of reaction from glasses4lyfe he’d wanted, but this underwhelming response certainly wasn’t it. He thought about typing more while he waited for glasses4lyfe to come back. He thought about closing out the chat dialogue and running a dungeon alone, or even just signing off. He was still making up his mind when he heard footsteps hurrying towards him. Probably Minoru, trying to be a pest. After dinner was Misaki’s unofficial time slot for the computer, but that didn’t stop Minoru from coming in sometimes and begging him for a turn. Minoru barely got any homework of his own, so he could just use the computer earlier in the day. Besides, he was a little kid, and had to sleep soon. 

“Minoru, you’re bed time’s in like ten minutes,” Misaki sighed, even though it was closer to an hour. He expected Minoru to give him back a sassy, “No it’s not!” 

He did not expect his chair to be shoved sideways while Saruhiko said “Move.” 

“Wha- Sa- Huh?” Misaki yelped. But Saruhiko wasn’t listening, he was just staring at the computer screen like his life depended on it. There appeared to be no blood whatsoever in his face, because it was an unhealthily chalky shade of white. 

“Uh? Sac- Saruhiko?” Misaki asked, concerned. He really didn’t need Saruhiko to just keel over right in the computer room after the day he’d already had. 

Saruhiko shook himself, then looked at Misaki. 

“Sign off, and come with me. There’s something you’ve gotta see.” 

“What? But-” 

Saruhiko clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, then turned to the computer screen and his hands moved to the keyboard, using the shortcut to sign Misaki out. Misaki blinked, surprised, but before he could ask how Saruhiko knew the keyboard shortcut to sign out, Saruhiko was already tugging on his arms, trying to drag him up from the chair. Not wanting his arms to be wrenched from their sockets or anything, Misaki obediently got to his feet and dazedly followed Saruhiko to the front door. They put on their shoes in silence, Misaki noting that Saruhiko’s shoes were scattered across the entryway like they’d been shucked off in a hurry. 

Once outside, Saruhiko grabbed Misaki’s hand and hauled him next door to his house, and then they were kicking off their shoes and Sacchan was leading the way to his room. Once they reached the bedroom, Saruhiko got behind Misaki and pushed him over to the computer, where Misaki found a familiar screen: a chat dialogue from Color Kings. 

“Saruhiko, wha-?” Misaki began, but it was all too clear what he was seeing. It wasn’t just any chat dialogue. It was _his_. His and glasses4lyfe’s. 

“You. You’re yatagarasu,” Saruhiko said, slightly breathless. 

“Yes but- You’re… glasses4lyfe?” Misaki asked hesitantly. 

“Original username was knife4lyfe but I changed it because I got sick of the dirty jokes?” Saruhiko said, referencing something glasses4lyfe had told Misaki back when they’d first started talking. 

“But- You mean that all this time, we were talking with each other?” Misaki asked, his brain working to try and catch up. 

“I guess so,” Saruhiko said. “And unless you’ve mistaken any other guys for girls recently, then I think we were talking to each other _about_ each other. Specifically our crushes on each other.” 

“What? But you don’t-” Misaki began, and then it clicked. Sacchan had told him she was gay. Or rather, _Saruhiko_ had told him that _he_ was gay. “Wait, so you like guys?” 

“That’s generally what it means when a guy is gay, yes.” 

“And you like… me?” 

“Against my better judgment,” Saruhiko muttered, rolling his eyes. 

“But-” The word “why” was on the tip of Misaki’s tongue, until something else occurred to him. “You called me a walking trainwreck,” he said accusingly. 

“Is that a problem?” Saruhiko raised his eyebrows. 

“How am I a trainwreck?” Misaki complained. 

“You’re really going to ask that after you mistook me for a girl until now,” Saruhiko said exasperatedly. Misaki blushed, because Saruhiko had a point. 

“A-about that, I’m really sorry,” he said in little more than a whisper. “I know how much it sucks when people mistake you for a girl when you’re not. I didn’t mean to do that to you. I still did, and I can’t undo that, but I am sorry. Really.” 

“Just… try to remember that I’m a guy from now on, okay?” Saruhiko sighed. 

“I-I dunno,” Misaki laughed, trying to tease Sacchan like she- he- always teased Misaki. “I do tend to get mixed up really easily…” 

“Asshole,” Saruhiko grumbled, but he did smile, just a little bit. Then his face fell, and for once he was the one blushing. “Er, by the way,” he began, grabbing his arm and squeezing nervously, “since you now know that I’m a guy and all, does that… change things?” 

“Well of course it changes things,” Misaki replied, rolling his eyes. It was a strange reversal of the norm, Saruhiko blushing and him being the sassy one. “I’ll have to stop calling you Sacchan, for one, since I was only using that because I thought Saruhiko was a really terrible thing to be calling a girl. And-” 

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Saruhiko interrupted, and he looked so fragile and vulnerable all of a sudden, like he might break with just the slightest puff of air. “I just… meant… your, uh, your crush… is that… different?” 

“Oh,” Misaki said, because what else was he supposed to say? “Uhhh, a little? Like, I thought you were cute either way, but like, I’ve always liked guys, so even though I still liked you the whole ‘she’s a girl’ thing was always a bit of a minus, and, um…” His only consolation in that moment was that Saruhiko’s face was just about as red as he was sure his own was. 

“So it’s… not a problem?” Saruhiko asked. 

“D-definitely… definitely not a problem,” Misaki answered, his voice only seconds away from cracking. 

Saruhiko heaved a sigh, his relief exiting his body in a rush of air. 

“Good,” he said, nodding, and turned away. He began to rub his arms as if cold. 

“Cool,” Misaki said, and this time his voice did crack, coming out girlishly high. It would have been utterly humiliating had the entire moment not already been the epitome of awkward and embarrassing. 

“So… are we good?” Saruhiko asked after a moment. 

“Yeah, we’re-” Misaki began, but then he remembered there was still more to address. “Um, actually… I wanted to say I’m sorry.” 

Saruhiko’s face looked like a kicked puppy, and Misaki rushed to explain, his heart twinging in guilt at making his… friend? Crush? Neighbor? Whatever. At making Saruhiko look at him like that. 

“A-about earlier, I mean. About a lot of the things I said- most of the things I said- and for blowing up at you like that in the first place. That’s just a really sensitive subject to me, and it was kinda a rotten day to begin with, and that doesn’t make any of what I said okay, especially not about your parents or about no one wanting to be around you or any of that, and you do have friends, since I’m your friend, and just- I’m sorry. It’s okay if you don’t forgive me, because what I said is really not okay, but I do regret saying all of that.” 

“Well it’s not like what you said wasn’t true,” Saruhiko mumbled. “I don’t have friends, just you and you again as it turns out, and my parents really don’t give a damn about me, and- and besides, I said things that were just as bad.” 

“Still doesn’t make the things I said okay. Besides, you’re wrong. You’re a really amazing, really likable person. I mean, I liked you right from the start, and my family likes you too. Like, Minoru told me the other day that you’re his favorite after Tatara, and Tatara’s like, his idol, and like I told you before, my dad likes that I finally have a third responsible friend- Izumo and Anna are the first two- and… I think if you chose to, you could have lots of friends. You’re just a little picky, but that doesn’t mean no one likes you or anything like that.” 

“Well, still,” Saruhiko said, finally turning back to Misaki. “I’m sorry as well.” 

“Well, you were right too,” Misaki said, smiling so that maybe he wouldn’t cry. Again. “You said I hate everyone so much because really I’m the one that’s hated, and you’re right. I guess if you’re,” Misaki gestured towards the computer, not quite sure how to phrase the discovery that Saruhiko was his online friend, “then I guess I’ve already kinda told you about before. With middle school and stuff. And just-” Misaki sniffed, and cringed because damnit, hadn’t he cried enough already today? “Mikoto... all of them… If it weren’t for them, I’d… I’d still be all alone. They’re the only ones who didn’t laugh at me or ignore me or treat me like shit.” Misaki closed his eyes, trying to keep any tears from escaping while also sparing himself from looking at Saruhiko. He didn’t want to know what kind of expression the other was making. 

“I guess I should have trusted you over a bunch of strangers then,” Saruhiko sighed. “I suppose I was jealous of your friends, since they’re so close to you and it feels like I’ll never be like that with you.” 

Misaki opened his eyes, to see another pained expression on Saruhiko’s face- not the kicked puppy look, but one of bitter regret, full of anger at himself. 

“But I think maybe you are that close to me?” Misaki said, though it came out more as a question. “I mean, like, I never really talked to my friends all that much about my crush on you, and part of that’s ‘cuz I thought they’d make fun of me, but I also just feel more comfortable talking to you about it I guess? Only now that I know it’s you, it is a little awkward, but like, there’s things that are easier to talk about with you? Like real talk stuff. And maybe it’s not the same as with my other friends, but like, I still consider you one of my best friends, y’know. Even if I only just realized we’re actually friends like, a week ago.” 

He was rewarded for his efforts stumbling through that explanation when Saruhiko smiled at him. 

“Well, maybe it doesn’t count since I don’t exactly have very many friends, but you’re one of my best friends too,” Saruhiko said. 

“What, only one of?” Misaki scoffed, and Saruhiko rolled his eyes. 

“Alright fine. _The_ best. Happy?” 

“Y-yeah. But, um, one more thing.” 

“What now?” Saruhiko huffed. 

“Oh, just um, would you go out with me?” 

The look on Saruhiko’s face was priceless. His eyes were wide in shock, and his mouth was just slightly agape, but there was just the slightest lift to the corners to indicate that he was pleasantly surprised. 

“And here I thought I was gonna have to be the one to ask,” he laughed. “Yeah, definitely.” 

“So, boyfriends?” Misaki asked, before he got too embarrassed to function. 

“Boyfriends,” Saruhiko agreed. They stood there smiling at each other for a moment, and then Misaki couldn’t take the force of that grin anymore. He looked away and coughed. 

“So uh, what now?” he asked. “Do we- do we like, kiss or something?” 

“I mean, we could?” Saruhiko said, sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. “If-if you want?” 

“Sure?” Misaki said. Both of their voices were rising steadily in pitch with nerves, and anyone listening probably would have really thought the two of them actually were girls. 

“O-okay,” Saruhiko said. “Um…” he stepped forward, until he was just in front of Misaki, and swallowed. And okay, maybe Misaki was a total moron, because there was a very distinct Adam’s apple bobbing in Saruhiko’s throat. Whoops. 

Not sure what else to do, Misaki put his hands on Saruhiko’s shoulders and looked up into his eyes. Saruhiko leaned in… 

And Misaki found himself stepping back, suddenly tense with nerves. 

“Er, sorry. I didn’t mean to-” he sputtered. “Sorry. Just got nervous.” 

“Y-yeah,” Saruhiko agreed, pressing his fist to his lips. “No, I get that.” 

“Should we- should we try again?” Misaki asked. 

“Okay,” Saruhiko agreed. 

They stepped close to each other again, but as soon as they entered each other’s space Misaki had to step back again as he was overtaken by a fit of giggles. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he squeaked, trying to stem the bubbling laughter. “I do want to do this, just-” 

“Y’know, maybe we should wait until some other time to try this,” Saruhiko said, his face beet red. He rubbed at his forehead with a hand, then pushed his hair back. “I think- I think today might be no good. We’re both too nervous, and… we’re nervous.” 

“Yeah, that might be… that might be a good idea,” Misaki said. “But um…” 

“Um…” 

Misaki looked around, searching for something to say, and noticed that Saruhiko’s computer screen had gone dark. When had that happened? And for that matter, how long had he been over here? His mom was going to get worried. 

“I should… probably go,” he mumbled. “Like, I’d really like to stay, but my mom… I don’t wanna worry her or anything.” 

“Right, right,” Saruhiko said, nodding. “But um, I’m glad we talked?” 

“Yeah, me too,” Misaki said. They stood there for a moment, both of them grinning sheepishly at their feet since they were too shy just then to look each other in the eye. 

“Are you gonna go?” Saruhiko asked after the moment stretched a little long. 

“Oh, right,” Misaki turned to go, but then was struck by a whim. “Oh hey! What if, until we figure out kissing, we do something else instead? And like, if it’s something pretty normal, then even after we figure out how to-” he waved a hand around his face, “- then we can still do that when there’s people around and it wouldn’t be awkward.” 

“So a discreet show of affection you mean?” 

“Yeah! Yeah,” Misaki said, nodding. 

“Okay. Like what?” 

“Like, um, like this!” Misaki said, and punched Saruhiko in the shoulder. He was a little overenthusiastic, and he cringed at the way Saruhiko winced and rubbed the spot where he’d been punched. “Er sorry, that was a little too-” 

“Just soften it up next time, okay?” 

“Okay. But that works?” 

“Yeah,” said Saruhiko, punching Misaki in the shoulder back. “It works fine for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could just fill this entire notes section with laughter.  
> The events of this chapter were decided pretty much the moment I decided on Misaki mistaking Saruhiko for a girl. I just couldn't see these two idiots straightening things out any other way. Or rather, I could, but this seemed more fun.  
> Also I'm pretty sure y'all can guess what Mikoto's sudden reasoning for wanting to go to college is (or rather, who) and who it was that told him Saruhiko's a guy (the student council totally has access to student records, btw).  
> In other news, the last chapter will probably go up tomorrow; it's short and sweet and incredibly self-indulgent. I tend to finish my fics that way.


	10. Chapter 10

The problem with joining the student council, even unofficially, was that Saruhiko had to sit through student council meetings. Which was all well and good once the meetings _started_ , but they had to wait for everyone to arrive to start them.

_Everyone._

Including the perpetually wayward trio, Yashiro Isana, Miyabi Ameno, and Kukuri Yukizome. 

To be fair, Kukuri usually ended up late only because she was trying to corral one or both of the other two. She was terrible at wrangling the others, since she wasn’t very insistent with Shiro and he only abandoned his whims when you were firm with him, and she was too easily dragged into Neko’s pace since they were dating, but she was still the person everyone relied on to bring Shiro and Neko to meetings, or to find Kuroh Yatogami and have him track the other two down. 

Today they were only waiting on Shiro. Neko and Kukuri had come together, on time even, but because Neko was feeling clingy Kukuri couldn’t go search for Shiro and it had been half an hour and he had yet to show up. Needless to say, Saruhiko was getting really annoyed. If they’d started on time, the meeting would probably be done already, and he could be on his way to Misaki’s house by now. But noooo, they had to have a stupid meeting and stupid Shiro had to go off to god knew where and- 

Shiro finally entered the meeting room, with a cheerful, “Heeeeeeey, oh wow, I guess I’m really late, haha.” 

This son of a bitch. 

“Anyway, I brought great news,” Shiro said, waving a paper he held in his hand. “I have a theme for our cultural festival!” 

No one bothered to remind Shiro that Akiyama was the cultural festival chair, and therefore deciding on any cultural festival themes was his responsibility. They all knew Shiro would pay them no heed. 

“Is that so?” Reisi asked. 

“Yup, grandfather already approved it,” Shiro said proudly. Trust Shiro to go get the chairman’s permission for something _before_ talking to everyone else about it. Shiro could talk his grandfather into anything, and it was hard to veto something the chairman had already signed off on. 

“What is it?” Reisi asked. Shiro threw his arm in a circle that ended on Reisi’s desk, causing the paper to flap a lot as it moved through the air. Reisi read over it, and a disconcerting smile spread across his face. 

“How interesting,” he said. “This should be rather amusing. Wonderful idea, Shiro.” 

He passed the paper to Seri, who frowned when she read it. “I have no personal objections,” she said, “but president, I do think that many students will be against this.” 

“Aw, but it’ll be so much fun!” Shiro protested whinily. “I’m sure everyone else will like it too. Pass it on!” 

Seri handed the paper to Saruhiko, and he took his turn reading it. He paled, then read it again to make sure he’d read it correctly. Then he slapped the paper onto the desk he was seated at, looked Shiro dead in the eye and said, “Absolutely not.” 

* * *

“There’s no way in hell I’m doing that!” Misaki yelped when Saruhiko told him about what had transpired at the meeting later that day. 

“Misaki, language!” Misaki’s mom shouted across the house. That woman had some really good hearing. 

Misaki rolled his eyes, then snarled, “I don’t care what the student council said, I’m not doing it!” 

“What, and you think I was okay with this?” Saruhiko grumbled back. “I tried to stop it, but no one else wanted to say no when Shiro already had the chairman’s signature!” 

“This is the worst,” Misaki moaned, leaning forward to sprawl across the table-desk where they were working on homework. “The absolute worst. My mom always takes tons of pictures at school events.” 

“Sucks to be you,” Saruhiko said without much sympathy. 

“Don’t gloat too much,” Misaki warned, sitting up. “You know she’s gonna be taking just as many pictures of you, right?” Saruhiko’s eyes widened in alarm. 

“What? No… She wouldn’t, right?” 

Misaki nodded, the gleeful grin of one who won’t be suffering alone spreading on his face. 

“Oh yes she would. You’re my boyfriend.” 

“Then we’re breaking up until after the festival.” 

Misaki shook his head, his grin growing even wider. 

“That won’t work, Saruhiko. She’s also unofficially adopted you, you know. She says if your parents can’t be bothered to do their job properly then she’ll be happy to make you her honorary son, whether you’re dating me or not.” 

“No. No, no, noooooooo,” Saruhiko moaned, his head in his hands. 

“I guess it sucks to be you too,” Misaki grinned. 

* * *

“Overall, it could have been worse,” Misaki sighed as he and Saruhiko trudged towards the back of the school where the bonfire was being held to end the cultural festival. They were holding hands as they walked, something that was still a novelty even though it had been more than three months since they started dating. Misaki was wearing a black dress and a witch’s hat since his class had done a haunted house, and damn if Saruhiko didn’t think he looked cute. 

“Yeah,” Saruhiko mused. He was dressed in a woman’s yukata for his class’s “summer festival” booth, and Misaki would be lying if he said it wasn’t attractive on him. What, it was a good color for Saruhiko, alright! “We could be in Reisi’s class. They did a black tie party cafe, and all the guys had to wear evening gowns.” 

“Huh, that does sound pretty bad,” Misaki agreed. “But I was just thinking Mikoto’s class had it rough. They did a labyrinth, so they’re just wearing uniforms.” 

“How is that bad?” 

“Do you have any idea how short those skirts are?” 

“Well I think I’d prefer a short skirt to class 1-4’s maid/butler cafe,” Saruhiko said, and both boys shuddered. Why any class would decide to do a maid/butler cafe once the student council had announced their decision to give the cultural festival a mandatory cross-dressing theme was completely beyond their comprehension. 

“I’m glad I’m not them,” Misaki said. “Though I am so glad I got to see that little rat Sukuna having to dress up like that.” 

“I agree it was quite the spectacle,” Saruhiko said, fighting to keep a straight face. 

As they reached the area where the other students were gathering, Misaki sighed and let go of Saruhiko’s hand. 

“I guess you’ll go hang out with the student council?” he asked forlornly. 

“I mean I don’t have to,” Saruhiko said. 

“But I doubt you want to go stay with my friends,” Misaki said, because even if Saruhiko had gotten past his jealousy of Misaki’s friends and his concern over their ethics, he still wasn’t overly fond of them. 

“Yeah, that would be a no,” Saruhiko said firmly. “But I was thinking maybe we could just stay by ourselves? Just you and me?” 

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Misaki said. 

They watched from the edges as the last students arrived and the sun set. Autumn was setting in, and they huddled together to stay warm. As the bonfire was lit, music for folk dancing was cued up, and the other students began pairing off. 

“You know, we could go over there and dance some,” Misaki said. “It’d be warmer.” 

“If this is you being naggy about my health again…” Saruhiko warned. 

“Nah,” Misaki said. “I just thought it might be kinda nice to try the folk dancing. I’ve never done it before, since you know how I get around girls. With Anna I’d be okay, but she’s got Sukuna to be her partner, so that won’t work.” 

“I kinda like being separate from everyone else though,” Saruhiko said, looking over at the other students. 

“So compromise and dance right here?” Misaki asked. 

“Sure,” Saruhiko said, and pulled Misaki close until they were slow dancing. 

“Uh, you know this isn’t how you folk dance,” Misaki pointed out. 

“Yeah, but we’re compromising. And it is kinda chilly so this way’s warmer.” 

“You’re just doing what you want, aren’t you.” 

“No, because if I were we’d be kissing.” 

“Well then why aren’t you doing what you want?” Misaki snapped, his voice breaking a little. 

As their lips met, they continued swaying to the music, kissing while they danced under the stars. In the background, the music changed and people switched partners, but they didn’t notice. For them, the world had vanished, leaving just them, the warmth shared between them, and a sweet chaste kiss, all mixed together in one perfect moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I want to write a cultural festival epilogue where one of them has to cross-dress for their class's activity.  
> Also me: Yeah, but which one?  
> Me: Why not both?  
> As for the semi-relevant classes that weren't mentioned, 1-2 did an ordinary food booth. 2-2 did something feudal themed so that Kuro could dress up as a swords(wo)man and Douhan could dress as a ninja. And 3-2 did a musical, and Yukari totally slayed as the heroine, though Shiro certainly had fun dancing around in heels as well- Nagare was more than happy he got to be the director.  
> Aaaaanyway. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. As always, comments and kudos are very much appreciated so thanks if you left any.


End file.
